Free Agency Story Time

Posted: March 14th, 2013 | Author: | Filed under: Philadelphia Eagles | 121 Comments »

Quiet day, so let’s tell some interesting FA stories.  Some Eagles, some non-Eagles.

Wayne Simmons is my favorite FA story of all time.  He was the SAM LB for the Packers in 1996.  They had the #1 defense in football and won the Super Bowl.  Simmons was 27 years old and a darn good LB.  He hit the FA market in 1997 looking for huge bucks.

His price tag scared off the Ravens and Cardinals. He met with the Rams, but that didn’t work out.  His visit with the Tennessee Titans is legendary.  

The Titans had the makings of a good defense, but wanted to upgrade LB.  They were willing to spend good money on Simmons.  They flew him in and sent a limo to the airport to pick him up.  Simmons got to the facility and met with Jeff Fisher and members of the defensive staff.  The Titans were in full sales mode.  They started talking to Simmons about the ways they would use him as a pass rusher and do creative things to make him their star LB.  Fisher is talking about the things he did with Otis Wilson and Seth Joyner, a pair of star SAM LBs he coached previously.

Simmons stops them and says “Show me the money.”  The coaches are dumbfounded.  They can’t tell if he’s joking or not.  Simmons follows that up with “Hey, I’m not interested in any of this stuff. I just want to hear what the money is.”

The coaches said thanks for visiting.  The limo will take you back to the airport.  Good luck.  And that was that.

Simmons signed with the Chiefs.  He played there half the season before getting cut and going back to GB.  He then spent half the 1998 season with KC, before moving on to Buffalo.  That was the end of his NFL career.  Simmons went from prize free agent to outcast immediately.

Making his FA attitude all the more troubling, he got a DUI on March 1st of that year.  This guy had more red flags than a parade in Beijing.  Unbelievable.

* * * * *

Back in March of 2004 the Eagles were looking for a nickelback.  Sheldon and Lito were going to be the starting CBs.  Rod Hood was on the team, but the Eagles wanted an upgrade.  They brought Fred Thomas in from the Saints very early and put on the full sales pitch.  The Eagles were talking to a 31-year old CB who was used to being a starter on a crappy team.  They hoped he would buy into being a slot corner for a championship contender.  The Eagles were going to pay him good money.

Fred listened to everything and then said he needed to go back to the hotel to rest, relax, and think over things.  The Eagles said “fine” and took him over.  Fred decided he wanted no part of leaving the Saints.  He didn’t care about the money.  He didn’t care about playing for a winner.  He wanted to stay put.  Fred called the Saints and had them book him on a flight.  The Eagles kept calling to check up on him.  Finally Fred snuck out of the hotel and flew home to re-sign with the Saints.

Would Fred have done a better job of covering Deion Branch in the Super Bowl than Matt Ware did?  You bet.  We’d have won that game and the next 4 years to establish the greatest dynasty of them all.  Blame Fred Thomas for that not happening.

* * * * *

WR Derrick Mason left the Titans after 2004.  He went to an east coast team (either NE or NYJ) and met with them.  They had dinner and things went really well and he was ready to sign.  Mason was a happy camper.  He went back to the hotel room to talk to his wife and make sure everything was good with her.

Mason’s wife said “no”. She wanted to live in Baltimore. Mason knew the Ravens had interest (may have already met with them).  Since keeping his wife happy was job #1, Mason told the team he was moving on.  He then signed with the Ravens and played there from 2005-2010.  He caught 471 passes for 29 TDs.

* * * * *

Did you remember that the Eagles brought Priest Holmes in for a visit when he left the Ravens?  Reid would not commit to making him the starter over Duce Staley so Holmes went to KC and turned into a great workhorse for a few years. He could have done good things here, but was perfect for KC.

* * * * *

The Eagles signed Darren Howard back in 2006.  He was brought in to battle with Trent Cole for the starting RDE job.  Jevon Kearse had LDE locked up.  I remember Jim Johnson saying that Howard had extra value as an inside rusher.  I went back and watched tape of the Saints and sure enough Howard was really good at DT in the Nickel.  That’s the first time I remember a DE sliding inside like that in the Nickel.

Reggie White lined up at NT in the 46 sometimes, but that was a specific alignment to have him 1-on-1 with a C.  I think Jim Haslett is the guy who used Howard at DT.  Darren Howard had 22.5 sacks as an Eagle.  It wouldn’t surprise me to find out as many as half came from DT.

In 2007 Steve Spagnuolo left the Eagles to run the Giants defense.  One of his moves that worked the best was putting Justin Tuck at DT.  Did Steve get that from seeing Howard do that as a Saint and Eagle?  Now we see it all the time.

* * * * *

Now for a personal oddball tale.  A couple of weeks back I had a vivid dream.  No, this isn’t the one about me and Megan Fox being trapped on Pudding Island.

In this dream I walked into a giant open newsroom.  It was empty, except for 2 guys…Les Bowen and Paul Domowitch.  Les called me over and let me know that Sports Illustrated had chosen him to run their NFL Preview issue.  He asked if I was interested in doing a piece.  Of course I said yes.  I was excited to hear my assignment.

That’s when Les told me I’d be comparing the Eagles to Star Wars.  I was immediately upset with him.  The assignment was challenging, especially because of the timing.  I couldn’t write about Andy Reid as Jabba or Joe Banner as Darth Vader as the centerpiece of my article.

Instead, I would have to make Nick Foles into Luke Skywalker.  Chip Kelly could maybe be Han Solo.  Jason Kelce is a natural for Chewbacca, as long as he shaves a little.  Michael Vick could be Lando Calrissian.  Who is Yoda, Mike Patterson or DeMeco Ryans?  Both are kinda undersized veteran warriors with great wisdom.

As you can see, there weren’t a lot of great fits.  I was happy Les included me in the project, but boy did he give me a tough assignment.  I hope next year I’m comparing the Eagles to the Dukes of Hazzard.  Uncle Jessie can be Jeff Lurie with Jerry Jones as Boss Hogg.  As for Daisy…I’ll have to think about that.

_

121 Comments on “Free Agency Story Time”

  1. 1 Phils Goodman said at 1:29 PM on March 14th, 2013:

    Making his FA attitude all the more troubling, he got a DUI on March 1st of that year. This guy had more red flags than a parade in Beijing.

    Not only that, Simmons died in a speeding wreck in 2002. That story has a sad ending.

  2. 2 TommyLawlor said at 1:34 PM on March 14th, 2013:

    Truly.

  3. 3 D3Keith said at 1:33 PM on March 14th, 2013:

    This was amusing from start to finish. Re: Wayne Simmons, I don’t think it’s weird to think during a job interview “look, this all sounds nice, but I have a number in my head that you have to be close to for me to take it” but to not have any idea how that looks to your potential employer to stop them is pretty oblivious. Easy to say now, of course.

    The Eagles blog feed on the right looks great. Also that update from last night must have gone up pretty late. I was at work til 1:30, and I’m sure I refreshed the Blitz at some point during my final hour.

  4. 4 Patrick said at 3:19 PM on March 14th, 2013:

    Actually, I think it’s a standing joke that when a coach is offered a HC position, before he takes it he has to call his wife, and if she says yes to the city, he better practice his “Yes honey’s”, because whatever she wants to do, wants to buy, wants so make, etc. he better be supportive since he will be living at the team facility. She picks the house, she decorates, decides how much help she will need and everything else. All the coach has to do at home, even when it’s utterly ridiculous, is smile, be happy and say “i agree with my wife”, when he takes out the wallet.

  5. 5 Bradley Abraham said at 1:39 PM on March 14th, 2013:

    “Pudding Island”!!! 😀

  6. 6 Ark87 said at 1:40 PM on March 14th, 2013:

    Daisy=Casey Mathews, no contest
    Episode 1 additions:
    DRC=Jar Jar
    Trent=Darth Maul intense eyes O.O
    Qui Gon and Obi Wan= Ted Williams and Duce Staley

    I feel like we have a Boba Fett, scrappy Bad Ass, I’ll go with Colt Anderson

    ermmmm R2D2 and C3PO=DJax and Maclin

    I feel like McCoy matches Lando slightly better, little more Jovial, totally going to be Han’s best friend.

  7. 7 Flash James T. Starkiller said at 2:01 PM on March 14th, 2013:

    We do not speak about episode 1….

  8. 8 Ark87 said at 2:02 PM on March 14th, 2013:

    Few do…but we are comparing it to the Eagles, post 2012, so I feel it’s totally just and proper.

  9. 9 CalSFro said at 2:41 PM on March 14th, 2013:

    Such a bitter disappointment.

    Now that the franchise is out of Lucas’ hands though, I have renewed hope. But Disney is sure to uhh…Disney it up. Which could be good or bad.

  10. 10 Anders said at 2:43 PM on March 14th, 2013:

    Well Disney did make Pirates of the Caribbean

  11. 11 CalSFro said at 2:46 PM on March 14th, 2013:

    My point exactly.

    The first two? Absolutely terrific.

    But then…convoluted, overblown garbage. And no hot Natalie Portman to save it (Penelope is hot, but not Natalie Portman hot).

  12. 12 Anders said at 2:49 PM on March 14th, 2013:

    I suppose you mean Keira Knightley. Tho they do look like each other and both a smoking hot

  13. 13 CalSFro said at 2:54 PM on March 14th, 2013:

    Nah, I meant Penelope Cruz. She’s in the newest, crappiest Pirates.

    I love and would never speak ill of Keira. She was there when that franchise still had legitimacy.

  14. 14 Anders said at 3:00 PM on March 14th, 2013:

    I thought you had mixed Natalie Portman up with Knightly

  15. 15 CalSFro said at 3:08 PM on March 14th, 2013:

    Ahh. Nah, was just my odd way of responding to your comment above about Natalie lookin’ fiiiiine in the new age Star Wars.

    To me, she was basically the saving grace of those movies. And Darth Maul. And the Yoda fight scene.

  16. 16 Anders said at 3:12 PM on March 14th, 2013:

    Yoda fight scene in the 2nd >>>>>> everything else

  17. 17 Ark87 said at 3:10 PM on March 14th, 2013:

    They’ve done well with the Marvel movies as well.

  18. 18 Anders said at 2:42 PM on March 14th, 2013:

    I thought episode 1 was okay. I dont get the hate for it (It helps Natalie Portman is fucking hot)

  19. 19 Ark87 said at 3:24 PM on March 14th, 2013:

    Someone needs to turn in their man card for voting down a comment in which it is stated that Natalie Portman is hot.

  20. 20 Michael Winter Cho said at 5:59 PM on March 14th, 2013:

    I didn’t vote it down, but I still think of her as the little girl in the Professional.

  21. 21 Anders said at 2:04 PM on March 14th, 2013:

    isnt Jar Jar a perfect fit for Jar Jar. I mean both are hated by both fan bases.

  22. 22 nicolajNN said at 3:13 PM on March 14th, 2013:

    With Ted and Duce being Qui Gon and Obi Wan shouldn’t McCoy be Anakin? Hopefully with a better outcome

  23. 23 Ark87 said at 3:19 PM on March 14th, 2013:

    He HAS been getting less adorable as he ages. DUDE STOP TRASHING YO BABY MAMA ON TWITTER, BRUH! And a dude named Shady is bound for the dark side.

  24. 24 A_T_G said at 6:53 PM on March 14th, 2013:

    And young Anakin was often getting scolded by Obi for not taking care of his light saber.

  25. 25 T_S_O_P said at 3:27 PM on March 14th, 2013:

    Daisy’s an emo??? Say it isn’t so.

  26. 26 teltschikfakeout88 said at 1:51 PM on March 14th, 2013:

    I would love to know more about the back story of the Wes Welker deal. For him to go to Denver for 12M and NE to sign Amendola to a big contract is just plain crazy. Of course Brady will turn Amedola into some sort of All Pro…..

  27. 27 Matthew Verhoog said at 2:12 PM on March 14th, 2013:

    I think Brady would make Chad Hall into an All Pro

  28. 28 shah8 said at 4:38 PM on March 14th, 2013:

    Chad Hall would have been converted to RB in NE.

  29. 29 xeynon said at 2:17 PM on March 14th, 2013:

    I expect Amendola to absolutely kill it in New England. Welker is a nice player, but let’s be honest, without Hernandez and Gronk absorbing defensive attention and Brady throwing him the ball he’s not a 120-catch-a-season player. He’ll do well in Denver as well, but he’s a guy that thrives because he knows exactly how to play the role of a complementary player, not a guy whose natural talent makes him an offensive centerpiece.

  30. 30 Cvd52 said at 4:57 PM on March 14th, 2013:

    amendola is a good player man. he has been catching passes from rams qbs for a few years and he still was extremley prductive when he was on the field. probelm is he is always hurt. if he can find a way to stay healthy i think he crushes it w brady

  31. 31 ACViking said at 5:05 PM on March 14th, 2013:

    Belichick just cut 4 years of age off the slot position by adding a kid who’s pretty darn close to being as good as Welker.

    Love the move.

    So who was it that the Eagles kept by cutting DA?

  32. 32 teltschikfakeout88 said at 7:14 PM on March 14th, 2013:

    AC I love your posts but to say that Amendola is close to Welker is a tall tale to me. When Danny has multiple 100 catch seasons and is a legit matchup nightmare for every slot corner in the league then I will be a believer. I think the signing is a stretch but with Brady anything is possible.

  33. 33 D-von said at 2:01 PM on March 14th, 2013:

    I can see why you said Chip kelly was Han Solo; I was thinking Obi Wan at first.
    Vick could be Mace Windu
    Banner is the Emperor Palpatine

  34. 34 xeynon said at 2:14 PM on March 14th, 2013:

    Banner had his place as the dark lord of the front office usurped by his apprentice, which wasn’t exactly what happened to Palpatine. Unless you want to argue that Howie-as-Darth-Vader has been redeemed to the light side of cap management, then I can buy it.

  35. 35 D-von said at 3:09 PM on March 14th, 2013:

    Perfect analogy

  36. 36 Matthew Verhoog said at 2:09 PM on March 14th, 2013:

    To Bad Nnamdi is no longer with us. Perfect Daisy Duke.

  37. 37 T_S_O_P said at 3:25 PM on March 14th, 2013:

    Fred Thomas may have been better than Ware, but so was Dexter Wynn better in the early part of the season too. I feel far happier blaming the activation of Mahe over Wynn in playing a role in the loss. Chad Lewis’ foot has some part on the lame too.

  38. 38 DanJ3645 said at 3:29 PM on March 14th, 2013:

    Daisy Dorenbos?

    http://www.24-7pressrelease.com/attachments/024/press_release_distribution_0249923_47216.jpg

  39. 39 TommyLawlor said at 3:37 PM on March 14th, 2013:

    Ah yes. Well done.

  40. 40 Ark87 said at 4:19 PM on March 14th, 2013:

    Holy Mother of God….

  41. 41 Patrick said at 4:27 PM on March 14th, 2013:

    I will never get tired of that picture. Im not a huge fan of having a long snapper on a roster, but I see what he brings to the table.

  42. 42 xlGmanlx said at 12:56 AM on March 15th, 2013:

    I have no problems with snapper of any kind, red, pink etc.

  43. 43 ACViking said at 4:50 PM on March 14th, 2013:

    I have serious question about the authenticity of what I see here.

    But given that JD is into magic, I could see how authenticity’s not a concern.

  44. 44 Alex Karklins said at 11:09 PM on March 14th, 2013:

    Her thousand yard stare is kind of creeping me out. I’m sure I’ll get over it, though.

  45. 45 Jamie Parker said at 11:58 PM on March 14th, 2013:

    She has a face?

  46. 46 Arby1 said at 9:41 AM on March 15th, 2013:

    Get off the bus, Gus. Big Daddy’s gettin’ on.

  47. 47 DamonL86 said at 4:21 PM on March 14th, 2013:

    Caplan tweeted another joker is up for the Eagles next.

  48. 48 TommyLawlor said at 4:23 PM on March 14th, 2013:

    Just posted instant reaction to signing Cary Williams and Kenny Phillips.

    http://eaglesblog.net/2013/03/eagles-add-cb-s/

  49. 49 Gregory Post said at 4:25 PM on March 14th, 2013:

    Damn you’re fast, Tommy! (that’s what she said)

  50. 50 Mac said at 6:18 PM on March 14th, 2013:

    Bazinga!

  51. 51 D3Keith said at 4:47 PM on March 14th, 2013:

    My instant reaction was: [dance like a fool, then say] “ohhhh [expletive], we got a secondary now, [expletive]s!”

    I’m expecting yours to be more nuanced.

  52. 52 Mac said at 4:48 PM on March 14th, 2013:

    I was secretly hopeful that we’d get Phillips. Time to start throwing up prayers he can stay healthy.

  53. 53 A_T_G said at 5:41 PM on March 14th, 2013:

    I didn’t understand why he wasn’t a top safety target until I read about his health issues. Hopefully he gets past them.

  54. 54 TheRogerPodacter said at 4:24 PM on March 14th, 2013:

    i like how mike vick is lando. its like matching him up as the only black guy in the star wars universe. haha. yea, i’m sure there are others, but hes the only one i remember (i’m speaking purely for the original 3)

  55. 55 CalSFro said at 4:57 PM on March 14th, 2013:

    He was the only black guy. And Leia was the only woman of any consequence.

    Way to go equality!

  56. 56 bentheimmigrant said at 6:42 PM on March 14th, 2013:

    Original 3? You say that like there’s more…

  57. 57 disqus_pGR5FvWEka said at 4:35 PM on March 14th, 2013:

    Tommy,

    Why haven’t you done a post on the possibility of Dee Milliner as a potential target of the eagles? How does Dee Milliner compare to some of the other standout DB’s coming out in recent years? How good can he be? He reminds me of Charles Tillman type player.

  58. 58 ACViking said at 4:54 PM on March 14th, 2013:

    Re: Belichick 2001

    T-Law:

    Every day, the Eagles are getting closer to the 2001 Belichick approach to rebuilding this team.

    While the Pats had better core D-players than the 2013 Eagles, the Birds of 2013 have better core players on offense than the 2001 Patriots.

    Unfortunately, Mike Vick will never turn into Tom Brady . . . not even the 2001 version (when he dinked and dunked to the SB).

    But Nick Foles could . . . .

    KNOW HOPE!!!

  59. 59 Mac said at 6:18 PM on March 14th, 2013:

    I see what you did there.

  60. 60 ian_no_2 said at 2:23 AM on March 15th, 2013:

    don’t know if this has been mentioned, but the Eagles have two U of Cincinnati TEs on the roster now, Celek and Barwin, one to cover the other in camp.

    I like the Barwin signing and I wanted him out of college, in part since I’m a Dion Jordan skeptic (as to whether he’s worth 4, not whether he’s worth having) and Connor can fill the hole at SAM. The other signings aren’t preventing them from drafting the same position, or promoting the carryover developmental players. Casey is like Havili only better at being Havili.

  61. 61 Iskar36 said at 4:55 PM on March 14th, 2013:

    Jeff McLane
    ‏@Jeff_McLane

    RT @JasonLaCanfora: #Eagles are on the verge of a deal with former Texans pass rusher Connor Barwin.

    Sounds like Barwin is about to be signed as well. Very happy about this. Outside of 5-tech and RT/RG, we have every starting spot filled only after 3 days of FA. On top of that, seems like none of these deals will present a problem for us in the future.

  62. 62 ACViking said at 5:03 PM on March 14th, 2013:

    Re: 2013 draft

    T-Law:

    With all these FA signings (assuming Barwin’s on board) . . . which way exactly do the Eagles need to go?

    Dion Jordon? Unless he’s slotted to replace B-Graham at Predator, then “no.” Not after Barwin.

    Dee Milliner? Starting to look more attractive. But is he really worth the 4th pick in the draft? (Deion Sanders went 5th! Yes, he didn’t tackle. And Mike Ditka wanted to run the ball at him every play. But the guy was the best shut-down corner in my lifetime . . . as much as I hated his living guts.)

    Eric Fisher/Luke Joekel/other O-lineman? Seems like that’s the area the Eagles are leaving to the draft.

    But (as I noted many, many months ago), Super Bowl winners don’t need Pro Bowl LTs. Just good O-lines.

    Jeez . . . Geno Smith’s looking like the man right now.

  63. 63 pkeagle said at 5:11 PM on March 14th, 2013:

    Nobody’s talked about moving down into the latter part of the first round and packaging picks for an extra 1st for next year. That way you’ve got the ammo to pick up one of the top QBs in 2014.
    I know the 4th pick is where you usually pick up a stud but if Joeckel & Fisher are gone, this could very well be what happens and I’ll be happy with that scenario.

  64. 64 Cvd52 said at 5:12 PM on March 14th, 2013:

    we signed c williams to 3yrs 17 and sean smith signed for 3yrs 18. and cox got 4yrs 20. am i missging something? we really wanted to save that 1 mill? im sure the guarantee money is less but still doesnt make much sense. ssmith got 11 guaranteed. williams got toasted alot last year. i like the other sigings alot tho

  65. 65 Anders said at 5:13 PM on March 14th, 2013:

    Smith also got toasted last year and Williams really improved as the season went on

  66. 66 Cvd52 said at 5:50 PM on March 14th, 2013:

    im not a huge fan of either of them but sean smith was supposed to be the best corner on the market and he got paid the same as williams. i dont mind having williams, just seems like we should have been able to get him cheaper. im yet to read anything that say he is good at anything other than tackling. although i like the toughness he brings, maybe thats what we are looking for. this is the one thing i like about not having AR, i dont think we sign guys like williams if AR is still here

  67. 67 Anders said at 6:41 PM on March 14th, 2013:

    The best CB on the market was imo Lewis and Grimes. Lewis reportedly took less to go to NO

  68. 68 Cvd52 said at 5:51 PM on March 14th, 2013:

    and of the 3 i would have taken cox

  69. 69 Patrick said at 5:20 PM on March 14th, 2013:

    Since we signed Fletcher, who is a cover corner and have very fluid movement, i assume thats the kind of CB we like. That is definitely NOT Sean Smith, who is violent and physical, but lacks athleticism. Dont know if Williams is more agile, but i assume that he is, and still have some of the violence and physical play Smith has. Williams is still a punk though, but after the Nnamdi/DRC “we dont care show”, it that really a problem?

  70. 70 Cvd52 said at 5:51 PM on March 14th, 2013:

    i dont mind picking williams up, just figured it seem slike we could have gotten him cheaper

  71. 71 Patrick said at 6:04 PM on March 14th, 2013:

    Super Bowl champ who turned it on late season when the Ravens went into championship mode. Its a little pricey for me too, but our alternative was going into the draft with Curtis Marsh or Brandon Hughes as our CB in nickel formations, assuming Boykin would go back to the slot when we went nickel. Thats not a pretty thought and agents knew that.

  72. 72 Cvd52 said at 6:39 PM on March 14th, 2013:

    yeah and im thinking kelly wants attitude on defence. although i though williams looked like a clown in the SB i will take the tough guy attitude. more than anything i want the defence to at least act tough.

  73. 73 D3FB said at 6:01 PM on March 14th, 2013:

    Apparently a large chunk of Williams’ guaranteed money is only guaranteed for injury.

  74. 74 Iskar36 said at 5:52 PM on March 14th, 2013:

    Jason La Canfora
    ‏@JasonLaCanfora

    Strong deal for Connor Barwin in Philly – 6 years, $36M, with the chance to earn a max of $40M including guarantees.

    Unless Dion Jordan is significantly the BPA, I have to believe he got pushed down the Eagles weighted draft board significantly with this signing.

  75. 75 Patrick said at 5:57 PM on March 14th, 2013:

    I seems like a guy for the trenches. Floyd, Star, Joeckel, Fisher, would be my guesses for the 4 names the Eagles have written down, with Jordan and Milliner still being in the mix because they seem like good players.

  76. 76 disqus_pGR5FvWEka said at 5:54 PM on March 14th, 2013:

    Jimmy I wish you would do a post on Dee Milliner.

  77. 77 GermanEagle said at 5:57 PM on March 14th, 2013:

    Barwin deal is 6 yrs/$36 million with max of $40 M, source confirmed.
    Sent 4 mins ago
    From TweetCaster for Android
    There is absolutely no chance the Eagles will spend #4 on Dion Jordan now after giving Barwin so much Money!!!

    Say hi to Joeckel, Fisher or Floyd!

  78. 78 Anders said at 6:01 PM on March 14th, 2013:

    or Star

  79. 79 Mac said at 6:19 PM on March 14th, 2013:

    I’m holding out hope that we can drop back a few spots and still get a talented guy, hopefully getting another 2nd rounder this year or even better a 2nd 1st rounder for 2014.

  80. 80 Ark87 said at 6:32 PM on March 14th, 2013:

    Depends on who we are trading with. Only if we are trading with someone in the back third of the first round do I see us coming away with a second. Short of a first rounder, I don’t see us moving back for future draft picks (because the middle of THIS draft is so good) unless it’s icing.

  81. 81 CalSFro said at 6:45 PM on March 14th, 2013:

    Only like 8.5 of that is guaranteed. I don’t think this precludes us from taking anyone in the draft.

  82. 82 Ark87 said at 6:27 PM on March 14th, 2013:

    Our doctors would have checked Phillips out before we signed him right?

    The safety spots got interesting. KP can start in either spot. If he is healthy, we will either have:
    FS:KP
    SS:Chung
    or
    FS:Nate
    SS:KP

    Plus a high(ish, first 3 rounds I would think) draft pick to compete in there and we will have one hell of a TC battle Royale. I like the first alignment, that is a versatile set of Safeties. It’s kinda likely we end up cutting Nate in favor of the hypothetical rookie+Colt Anderson for ST.

  83. 83 bentheimmigrant said at 6:35 PM on March 14th, 2013:

    I like Coleman (not as a started, obviously)… he plays so hard, even if he does get lost in coverage, that I would have been happy to keep him for STs. But I really can’t see a way he keeps a spot even without a rookie coming in. Good luck to him.

  84. 84 Ark87 said at 6:48 PM on March 14th, 2013:

    Coleman is going to be right there in camp. Every single year we write him off, and the dude doesn’t go away. When all the dust settles, he manages to be a starter.

  85. 85 bentheimmigrant said at 7:03 PM on March 14th, 2013:

    True enough (and I can’t help but root for him). But barring injury, Phillips, Chung, and Allen have to be ahead of him. Anderson is obviously a ST priority. Add in a rookie and we can’t be carrying 6 safeties, right?

  86. 86 Ark87 said at 7:13 PM on March 14th, 2013:

    exactly, good case can be made for keeping 5 though, given the Phillips, Chung, and Nate are all somewhat prone to injury.

  87. 87 D3FB said at 7:21 PM on March 14th, 2013:

    Coleman probably won’t really be counted towards number of safety’s we keep. Typically coaches let the special teams coordinator have a player or two, who while they technically have other positions are there for their value to the special teams.

  88. 88 Ark87 said at 6:35 PM on March 14th, 2013:

    We have a prospective pair of starters at CB now, and a nickel. Do we even put an offer out there to keep DRC? I think you put a meh offer out there, competition can only help all parties.

  89. 89 A_T_G said at 6:40 PM on March 14th, 2013:

    He is a Bronco now on a one-year deal.

  90. 90 Ark87 said at 6:54 PM on March 14th, 2013:

    oh cool, that takes care of that!

  91. 91 ACViking said at 6:43 PM on March 14th, 2013:

    Re: Decisions, Decisions

    GermanEagle and Anders . . . .

    I join you on where the Eagles go in this draft, with a qualifier.

    You both hit on O-line or D-line . . . and, given the conventional wisdom that the best players are 1-4 before the drop starts, you’d think the Eagles do with OL: Joekel/Fisher or DL: Star/Floyd.

    Makes great sense to me.

    I’ll toss in T-Law’s famous nose for what the Eagles do. He hit on Shariff Floyd a couple weeks back. So maybe Floyd the favorite. (Plus, you can always coach up O-lineman into a cohesive unit.)

    QUALIFIER . . . maybe Geno. It’s possible.

  92. 92 Anders said at 6:53 PM on March 14th, 2013:

    Right now its Star for me. Could be a dominating 5 tech

  93. 93 GermanEagle said at 6:52 AM on March 15th, 2013:

    Oh oh oh, the great ACViking calling out the German. I like. 🙂
    In terms of your decisions: personally it’s a toss up between Joeckel (who would be the future franchise LT) and Floyd (who would be our starting 5-tech from day 1) given the current status. Should the Eagles sign a starting caliber OT in Free Agency (Vollmer or maybe Smith?!), that would change things.
    Despite having said that my favourite scenario is still a downtrade (Miami at #12 comes to my mind!) to collect additiional picks in rounds 2 and 3 and stil being able to grab a OT of our future (Lane Johnson?!). If that happens, I will cream my German underwear.

  94. 94 Bill Muller said at 7:12 PM on March 14th, 2013:

    tommy does mike vick being a southpaw affect chip kellys ability to install the read option?

  95. 95 A_T_G said at 7:14 PM on March 14th, 2013:

    Maybe Barwin isn’t the presumptive SAM? From Sheil:

    One number that jumps off the page with Barwin is sacks. He had 11.5 in 2011, but that number dropped to three last season. Roseman indicated that the Texans changed how they used Barwin in 2012.

    “He was more on the open side two years ago,” Roseman said, referring to the side of the formation without the tight end. “He was more in position to set the edge and cover the tight end this year. We watched him two years ago on the open side, and then even this year when they played the Lions when he was doing it more.

    If they liked him, but think he was misused by putting him over the TE, is he competition for the predator?

  96. 96 bentheimmigrant said at 7:16 PM on March 14th, 2013:

    That’s how it read for me… Makes you wonder where that leaves all our old DEs… And maybe Jordan is still a prospect for #4.

  97. 97 Phils Goodman said at 7:27 PM on March 14th, 2013:

    I actually disagree with that. Barwin was used in the same LEO/Elephant/Predator/Whatever role for the first 11 games this year and didn’t produce much out of it. He didn’t get moved until SAM Brooks Reed got hurt and Whitney Mercilus became the new Predator. That’s where Barwin showed he could drop into coverage 10+ times a game. It’s easy to project Graham or Cole into Predator, but imagining them cover that much is a stretch. I think Davis will make Barwin his SAM.

  98. 98 A_T_G said at 7:55 PM on March 14th, 2013:

    Yeah, it does seem like we have a glut of predators. Rereading the quote, Roseman could have just been explaining why the sack numbers were down and not making a judgement on his effectiveness in the role.

  99. 99 Ark87 said at 7:19 PM on March 14th, 2013:

    Amazing how fast the D came together. We are at a place now where we can go into the draft without any gaping holes, yet we could use help at almost every position (defensively). This is perfect for sticking to BPA with no weighting on any positions because of desperate need.

  100. 100 bentheimmigrant said at 7:20 PM on March 14th, 2013:

    What’s that disqus? -4 new notifications? Incredible.

  101. 101 Phils Goodman said at 7:21 PM on March 14th, 2013:

    Quiet day, huh? Real Gs move in silence like lasagna.

  102. 102 Phils Goodman said at 7:21 PM on March 14th, 2013:

    Re: Defense

    LEO: Cole/Graham
    5-T: ????/Thornton
    NT: Sopoaga/Dixon
    3-T: Cox/????

    WILB: Kendricks/Matthews
    SILB: Ryans/Chaney
    SAM: Barwin/Curry

    CB: Fletcher, Williams, Boykin
    S: Chung, Phillips/Allen

    I think the defense is coming into focus. Could Sharrif Floyd be the missing piece opposite Fletcher Cox? Curry could be a candidate for a bit of a “joker” role.

  103. 103 phillychuck said at 7:50 PM on March 14th, 2013:

    Howie pretty much said they like Barwin a lot better at Predator than at the SAM. As mentioned above, maybe a lot of 2-5-4…?

  104. 104 Phils Goodman said at 8:24 PM on March 14th, 2013:

    I think you are reading too much into that. Roseman could have just been downplaying Barwin’s low pressure numbers and trumping up his versatility.

    What current OLB is going to be taking on coverage responsibilities if not Barwin?

  105. 105 ezgreene said at 7:22 PM on March 14th, 2013:

    Reading Too Much Into Something alert!

    I think that the Barwin signing portends a lot here:

    1. Jordan and Ansah aren’t going to happen in the draft. It’s Millner or Lineman (offensive or defensive)

    2. Trent Cole is gone.

    3. We will see a ton of 2-5-4 formations with Barwin, Curry and Graham floating.

  106. 106 holeplug said at 7:53 PM on March 14th, 2013:

    I don’t see Cole being gone. Cutting him doesn’t clear any cap room and no one is offering a high draft pick in return for him. You have to remember they will be running an up tempo offense next year, depth is more important for the birds than most teams since the defense will be on the field for more snaps per game.

  107. 107 Phils Goodman said at 9:20 PM on March 14th, 2013:

    Exactly. Same thing I have been saying.

  108. 108 phillychuck said at 7:22 PM on March 14th, 2013:

    Where are Graham and Trent after the Barwin signing? Sounds like they want Barwin on the open side, so either Graham/Cole play SLB or they play 5-technique end. Neither is perfectly suited for either role.

  109. 109 ezgreene said at 7:27 PM on March 14th, 2013:

    Based on what the GM has said, I don’t think there’s any doubt that Graham is going to be anywhere but OLB.

  110. 110 A_T_G said at 8:54 PM on March 14th, 2013:

    Wait, what? You don’t doubt that he will be anywhere else? That means you think he will be elsewhere?

  111. 111 Ark87 said at 8:16 PM on March 14th, 2013:

    Maybe nowhere on the base defense. That being said, it is likely that most of our defensive snaps will be spent in alternative sets to the base. If they are on the team, the coaches will find a way to make use the 2 productive and experienced pass rushers. 3rd and long anyone?

  112. 112 Eric Weaver said at 7:24 PM on March 14th, 2013:

    I haven’t read the other comments, but I would assume the addition of barwin means they are running a 3-4 and not a 4-3. I would think barwin doesn’t have good enough cover skills to perform in the latter.

  113. 113 phillychuck said at 7:28 PM on March 14th, 2013:

    Probably a 4-3-under, which will play like a 3-4 for the OLBs.

  114. 114 Eric Weaver said at 8:10 PM on March 14th, 2013:

    Sorry, I meant the addition of barwin would mean a 3-4, not a 4-3 under.

  115. 115 xeynon said at 10:03 PM on March 14th, 2013:

    From what I’ve read Barwin has very good cover skills, and is a natural fit at SAM in the 3-4 under.

  116. 116 BG said at 11:37 PM on March 14th, 2013:

    have a good feeling the Eagles will eventually take Geno Smith with #4

  117. 117 eagleizeit said at 9:03 AM on March 15th, 2013:

    Barwin was a DE a couple years ago when Houston ran a 4-3.

  118. 118 GermanEagle said at 9:26 AM on March 15th, 2013:

    “The Eagles have some serious holes to fill, but there will be lots of players available that fit what the team is looking for. The team has the cap room to add players and enough draft picks to get younger and better. Howie Roseman and Chip Kelly have a huge opportunity in front of them. Choose wisely, gents.”
    It looks like Howie and Chip have heard your words, Tommy.

  119. 119 eagleizeit said at 9:41 AM on March 15th, 2013:

    Where’s Tommy been.

  120. 120 GermanEagle said at 9:43 AM on March 15th, 2013:

    Drinking. Celebrating. Drinking.

  121. 121 eagleizeit said at 9:56 AM on March 15th, 2013:

    The Eagles should have a week long F/A Festival kind of like a Reggae Festival or something.