Archive for April, 2010

The trade winds they are a blowin’. The draft is still a week away but that hasn’t stopped teams from wheeling ‘n’ dealing. Yesterday it was Brandon Marshall, a few days before that it was Santonio Holmes. Both are starting wide receivers, and yet both were deemed expendable. So, how did those deals stack up to the one the Eagles made when they shipped Donovan McNabb to the ‘Skins? All in all, I’d say the Birds made out okay. – Holmes, a first-round pick back in 2006, was sent packing to the Jets for a measly fifth-round pick this year. [...]

Maurkice Pouncey: Center, Junior – Florida Height/Weight: 6’4″, 305 Career accolades: Won 2009 Remington Award as nation’s top center. First-team All-SEC and second-team All-American in ’09. 40-time: 5.11 Pouncey is by far the top center prospect in the 2010 draft. He’s a three-year starter with great leadership skills. Has quick feet and tremendous balance. Is physical at point of attack and plays nasty. Very mobile, can operate in space with ease. Rarely gets out-muscled and is capable of sustaining a push in the run game. Able to play either center or guard. Arms are a bit short. Played in primarily [...]

Earl Thomas: Free Safety, Redshirt Sophomore – Texas Height/Weight: 5’10″, 205 Career stats: 27 games played, 149 tackles, 10 INT, 33 PDs 40-time: 4.49 Thomas is a bona fide stud prospect with upside to spare. He is a known ballhawk who can read and react quickly and precisely. Has good speed and leaping ability. Can diagnose plays due to excellent instincts and intelligence. Although not getting the same hype as Eric Berry, Thomas might end up being the better pro. He is a playmaking safety who has the skills to start immediately. Needs to add strength and can be a [...]

Why doesn’t Jeff Garcia just go away? I love what the guy did for the Eagles in 2006, but that was then. Unfortunately, if you buy into the rumors, Garcia wants a third crack to be a Birds quarterback. Why? Hmm… let’s see. With McNabb shipped to D.C., Kolb unproven and Vick still being mentioned in trade scenarios, Jeff hears opportunity knocking. On the plus side, he plays with passion and is a solid leader. On the minus side, he’s 40 years old and wants nothing more than to start. All this “mentoring Kolb” talk is nonsense. Jeff Garcia, if [...]

Kyle Wilson: Cornerback, SR – Boise State Height/Weight: 5’10″, 195 Career Stats: 50 games played, 160 tackles, 11 INT, 27 PDs 40-time: 4.40 Wilson is another fast riser up draft boards ever since the Senior Bowl. Not the biggest prospect, Wilson makes up for his lack of size with speed, tenacity and vision. He’s a  fifth-year senior and four-year starter, so experience and leadership aren’t in short supply. Wilson covers the field well, is a legit playmaker and is excellent in run support. Will struggle against bigger wideouts, but plays with confidence and isn’t afraid of making mistakes.Can also contribute [...]

Devin McCourty: CB, Senior – Rutgers Height/Weight: 5’11″, 195 Career Stats: 52 games played, 238 tackles, 6 INT, 27 PDs 40-time: 4.48 McCourty, a fifth-year senior, brings size, speed and experience to the table. He can run with fast receivers, close on the ball and is excellent in run support. Possesses great leadership skills and has a reputation as being a hard worker on and off the field. In addition, he’s a multi-talented special teams performer with seven blocked kicks in his career. Can also return kicks and play gunner. McCourty is flying up draft boards after a successful showing [...]

It took awhile, but guard/center Nick Cole inked his one-year tender today. This is good news since Jamaal Jackson‘s availability this summer is in doubt. Cole has become a valuable reserve at left guard, right guard and now center. I still say the Eagles target either a guard or center early in the draft. Unless Cole is awarded a long-term deal at some point, he’s still just a one-year rental. In addition, Jamaal’s age and injury status means he’s pretty much expendable, especially if recent history is any indication. Subscribe to ITI

While watching Donovan’s McNabb’s first press conference as a Redskin, it finally hit me that he was gone. It felt odd seeing him joke with reporters and sidestep asinine questions as the member of another team. He also struck me as relieved the situation was over, but also dejected about how the events played out. As he repeatedly brought up the word “team” and expressed his confusion as to why the Birds parted ways with him, I could tell he was hurt. My suspicion is that even though he had witnessed guys like Troy Vincent, Hugh Douglas, Duce Staley and [...]

As we all come to terms with the fact that Donovan McNabb is no longer the Eagles starting quarterback, it’s a perfect time to reflect on the fond, and not-so fond memories from the last eleven seasons. Whether you favor the decision to wave goodbye to 5 or not, the dude was an integral part to some of the franchise’s greatest moments. He was also at the center of a tornado of controversy during his days in Philly, a portion of which was was none of his doing. When he was at the top of his game, he was one [...]

Well, it’s been quite the offseason for our beloved Eagles and we haven’t even reached the draft yet. As the brain trust continues the miraculous roster makeover, I thought I’d take a look back at what has transpired since that awful January day in Dallas. Who’s in, who’s out? And what does it all mean. Let’s have a look.

Now that Donovan McNabb is an ex-Eagle (still sounds weird) we can all start pontificating about whether or not the decision to trade a six-time Pro Bowl quarterback to a division rival should be classified as gutsy, or insane. Time will tell, but for now it’s all about the name-calling and hand-wringing. What we’ve seen since the 2009 season ended is nothing short of amazing. Be it old, broken down, underachieving, disgruntled or disappointing, no one has been safe since Howie Roseman took the General Manager reigns. Whether you call his strategy aggressively calculated or monumentally stupid, you have to [...]

I have zero problem admitting when I’m wrong. I WAS WRONG. It finally happened. Donovan McNabb has been traded to, of all teams, the Redskins. Ya know, that bitter division rival owned by Dan Snyder and coached by Mike Shanahan. In return, the Eagles get Washington’s second-round pick in April’s draft (#37) and either a third- or fourth-rounder in 2011. Puzzling and a bit sad, to say the least, but he’s gone, gone, gone. So, all you haters got your wish. No more blaming 5 for all the Birds’ failures. Now we can start gearing up the Kevin Kolb era, [...]