Aug 30, 2012; Philadelphia, PA, USA; Philadelphia Eagles offensive tackle Dennis Kelly (67) during the fourth quarter against the New York Jets at Lincoln Financial Field. The Eagles defeated the Jets 28-10. Mandatory Credit: Howard Smith-USA TODAY Sports

After the Eagles most recent loss on Sunday night to none other than the Dallas Cowboys, the focus and excitement of those fans die-hard enough to stick this season out to the very end centered on the continued growth of Bryce Brown and Nick Foles.

And of course, this is with good reason.

Brown ran with strength, balance, vision, and a decisiveness we haven’t seen out of a running back in many years. He and McCoy combine to give Eagles fans hopes of a dynamic 1-2 punch in the backfield that, fingers crossed, whoever the next coach ends up being will make the focal point of the offense going forward.

Add in that Nick Foles looked calm, focused, physically capable and efficient and there was plenty there to be happy about, even as the inevitable wave of resigned anger washed over those of us still watching as the clock ticked down on consecutive loss number 8.

Of course there were other bright spots as well from the next generation of Eagles; like Damaris Johnsons punt return touchdown in the waning moments, Brandon Grahams active play in place of the recently released Jason Babin which resulted in 4 “stops” and 1.5 sacks, and Riley Coopers continued evolution into, at the very least, a strong number 3 wide receiver and red zone threat.

But to my eyes, the greatest development for the Eagles has to be Dennis Kelly’s continuously improving play at right tackle.

I’m not going to go overboard and claim him to be the next Jon Runyan, though as Sheil Kapadia pointed out earlier today there are some comparisons to be made.

I prefer to take a more long-term view of the situation.

Which essentially is this: with the expected return of both Jason Peters and Todd Herremans next season, Kelly could possibly fill a King Dunlap sized hole on the roster. No one is going to pretend that Dunlap, though he played well in this most recent loss to the Cowboys, is the player the front office would prefer as the swing tackle, and first guy off the bench in case of an offensive line injury.

He’s got size obviously, but his height makes nearly all his movements seem awkward and difficult, which allows both speed rushers to angle their bodies so that his inability to bend his knees renders him nearly useless as they run right around him (this is why he had those hands to the face penalties in the first game against the Cowboys), and leverage guys to easily get under his pads and push him around.

Kelly is big, but not in an awkward sense. His frame is bulky, but he’s clearly got a lot of strength to his lower body, allowing him to anchor. He essentially neutralized Anthony Spencer on Sunday night, holding him to 5 tackles and no sacks.

The best part about Kelly’s development is that it gives the Eagles flexibility. It’s still early, but if you search out mock drafts at this point of the year, many of them have the Eagles taking someone like Luke Joeckel, a tackle out of Texas A&M.

And while Joeckel is very talented and a prospect I wouldn’t be upset to see the Eagles grab, especially considering that Jason Peters will be 31 and Todd Herremans will be 30 by the time the 2013 season starts, if Kelly proves that he’s at the very least a competent back-up, it frees the Eagles to allocate draft resources elsewhere.

Like say, on a defense that’s become historically bad, allowing opposing quarterback’s to roll up a 152.4 rating on third down in the past six games.

There’s even the off chance Kelly’s development could take him into starter territory, allowing Herremans to return to his original NFL position of guard and further strengthening a unit that has become a serious liability this season, lessening the need to spend an early draft pick on an offensive lineman.

Of course, all of this is projection and there’s no telling where Kelly will end up or what type of player he’ll turn out to be. But there’s one thing for certain; this 2012 draft class has the chance to be a once in a lifetime group, with Dennis Kelly just another in a line of guys with bright futures, hopefully, in Eagles green.

October 14, 2012; Philadelphia, PA USA; Philadelphia Eagles head coach Andy Reid during the game against the Detroit Lions at Lincoln Financial Field in Philadelphia. The Lions defeated the Eagles 26-23 in overtime. Mandatory Credit: Eric Hartline-US PRESSWIRE

Of all the things one could blame Andy Reid for as his 14-year tenure as head coach of the Philadelphia Eagles winds it’s way slowly downward to a blip, to a puff, to a wisp of smoke, nothing is more glaring at this moment and therefore more deserving of blame, than Reid’s failed attempt at a succession plan.

After years of sustained success with a team built on draft picks like Donovan McNabb, Brian Westbrook and Sheldon Brown, as well as with former regime holdovers turned Reid-guys Jeremiah Trotter, Brian Dawkins and Hugh Douglas, sometime around the 2006 offseason Reid made the intelligent and forward thinking decision that time on the team as it was currently constructed was running short and changes needed to be made.

Ever the shrewd operators and always with an eye to the future, Reid and former right hand man Joe Banner were merciless, and to be honest, oftentimes spot-on, when it came to cutting players loose after they had passed their prime (Or “age 30” as it used to be known). Time and again we watched Andy let go of loyal, dedicated, homegrown Eagles who no longer served their purposes well or to the fullest extent.

And this is as it should be.

The NFL is a cutthroat business and if you’re lucky enough to be a part of it for even a short time then you’re better off than most folks. There is no blame for operating a team and a business as coldly and candidly as necessary as long as the ultimate prize of a World Championship remains the sole focus (Andy, if you’re still reading, this is called foreshadowing).

So we fans sat, some solemnly holding hands, others gently wiping away quiet tears, still others crying shamefully and unabashedly, as first Hugh, then Trot, then Lito, then Ike Reese, then Trot, then Sheldon, then Trot again, and so on and so forth were all shown the way out. Of course, hindsight being what it is today we’ve been able to see that not all those decisions were smart ones (Brian Dawkins, ahem, ahem).

But of course along with cutting the dead weight comes the necessary step of acquiring new, better talent who, without the constraints of being a new coach and with the glorious goodwill built of 7 seasons of success, Reid could ostensibly obtain with a fair amount of scheme-focus and of course, a bit of fan and owner leniency.

Now, many folks like to paint Andy Reid and Co. as something of a failure when it comes to drafting, especially in the first round. And after the last couple drafts, it would be hard to argue with that sentiment (2012 draft excluded), especially in the sense of overall percentages. But the truth is that, especially early on in his tenure Andy had and has a pretty good drafting record, and with a few exceptions (Jerome McDougle, ahem, ahem), developed a knack for finding good, solid contributors, if not world-beating super stars (If there is a knock against him, it’s just that. Corey Simon, Brodrick Bunkley, Jeremy Maclin, Mike Patterson, Shawn Andrews, Lito Sheppard to name a few. All had success, and may not have been or will not be perennial Pro-Bowlers, but neither are any of them busts. Keep expectations realistic. The average lifespan of an NFL career is a little over 3 years for a reason).

But on a beautiful spring day in late April of aut-7, Andy and the rest of the front office made a few questionable decisions in the name of their succession plan that would eventually be the impetus for many more questionable decisions that would pave the way for the team to be constructed as it now stands.

The plan of course, knowing Andy and his fondness for throwing the football (As well as the small fact that NFL teams are built around their passing game), focused around the selection of a “Quarterback of the Future” (Side note: for some reason, the way I always hear this ignominious phrase in my head is in boxing announcer Michael Buffer’s voice accompanied by a massive echo and a blare of trumpets).

So, on that fateful day in 2007 Andy and the crew, seeing how the first round of the draft was breaking, waited with haunches tense and lips quivering as their selection eased cautiously up to the board, and when they’d waited just long enough for the unwitting prey to have moved into close enough range, they pounced! And traded back into the early second round where they drafted Conference USA superstar and future University of Houston Wall of Fame quarterback Kevin Kolb.

And the rest, as they say, is history.

Kolb rode the pine for a couple of years, being touted constantly as the franchises eventual savior, while Donovan McNabb acted salty, tried to pretend he wasn’t acting salty, and spent press conference after press conference answering questions about his future. Until the magical season of 2010 finally arrived, and with D-Mac now safely in the web of failure that had been the Redskins up to that point (I say “had been” because with a guy like RGIII, any given year could be your year), Kolb finally got his chance to shine. Or at least to see what the dirt at Lambeau Field tasted like, courtesy of the Cro-Magnon Man, Clay Matthews.

Vick came in in relief, and Kolb never saw the field again until he was shipped to the Cardinals for a second round pick and cornerback Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie.

Now, listen up Dear Reader, because this is the important part.

This article is not to state that Kevin Kolb’s perceived failings as a football player or quarterback are the direct reason for the team’s current standing or Reid’s eventual dismissal. But instead, only to point out that the selection of Kevin Kolb as heir apparent is simply a symptom of a what eventually became a much larger problem.

An evaluation problem that led to a drafting problem. A succession problem. An Andy problem.

Andy Reid essentially had a second chance to put together a team, his team, with nothing holding him back. No caveats, no immediate pressure. He got to choose who he wanted, when he wanted, with naught but the perfunctory, “Are you ok with this, Jeff?” to hold him in check. And he, in a word, failed.

Poor draft choices in the latter years led to the need to rely more and more on free agency which led to a team made up of far too many non homegrown Eagles who didn’t and don’t truly appreciate what it means to wear the Midnight Green (Man, I wish I was typing Kelly Green. And that the Eagles hadn’t picked up Demetress Bell). And after the forced stepping down/amicable split/seeking of other opportunities/firing of Joe Banner last year, there’s nowhere else at this point for the blame of organizational failings to fall.

You see it wasn’t Andy’s decision to give Mike Vick a second chance, or to go with Vick after he’d clearly outplayed Kolb during his injury hiatus that had led us to this point. Where Andy Reid failed was in drafting Kolb in the first place. Because investing that highly in a quarterback means that he is your de-facto Quarterback of the Future. And it was obvious from the get go that Reid absolutely viewed him as such.

But after a couple of years on the bench, and some sub-par relief appearances and preseason work, it became apparent to Reid that he was not in fact, who he thought he was (Thanks, Dennis. And Coors Light). Which set off a whole chain of events, not the least of which being that at the slightest nudge he was “forced” to go with Mike Vick, who rode into town on his “Goodwill and Change Grand Tour”, successfully duping many of us, Reid included, with a mirage of quality quarterbacking that he just could not sustain (I don’t blame Vick for this in any way. He did his best with what he had but as they always say, “he is what he is”: an abnormally athletically gifted quarterback with subpar pre-snap and post-snap recognition skills. Like I said, we all got duped).

So perhaps one can blame Reid for poor clock management and timeout usage, for boring press conferences and an “I’m smarter than you are” demeanor. Or for too often having his eyes in the future, with a constant focus on cap space and not crippling your team now so that, if need be, moves can be made at a later date. But maybe, just maybe, the real reason we can blame Andy Reid is for allowing too much Andy Reid to enter the conversation.

Like most things in life, too much of a good thing is, well, too much. And it often leads to tunnel vision and a loss of situational context. The NovaCare Complex is Andy’s castle, and Andy is the all-seeing, all-knowing Lord of that castle. The problem now is that, with no one else to blame, the only one in danger of losing his head is going to be Andy.

From Sean McDermott taking over after Jim Johnson’s untimely and unfortunate death (Has a franchise ever struggled so mightily after losing a defensive coordinator? I don’t know that it’s possible to overstate how important JJ was to this franchises success in the early 2000’s), to promoting Rory Segrest to run the Special Teams and then the defensive line, to hiring Juan Castillo to run the defense, and then firing him during the season. These are Andy decisions and Andy choices made inside the vacuum that is Andy World, and there’s no longer any goodwill stored up with which Andy can fight this now losing battle.

Andy Reid has far and away been the greatest coach this city and this organization has ever seen. He’ll always hold a special place in the hearts of those of us who remember what it was like watching the team under Rich Kotite and Ray Rhodes. What he has done, and the sustained success he’s brought should not be underestimated or understated. There were some truly wonderful years.

But now, the tough decisions must be made, and Jeffrey Lurie must maintain an eye for the future while making shrewd decisions for the present. And like the old saying goes, “With absolute power, comes absolute responsibility”. And now, the time’s yours, Andy, to start taking responsibility for your decisions.

Nov 11, 2012; Philadelphia, PA, USA; Philadelphia Eagles quarterback Nick Foles (9) in the huddle during the second quarter against the Dallas Cowboys at Lincoln Financial Field. Mandatory Credit: Howard Smith-US PRESSWIRE

I write this knowing full well I may be pretty much alone in the assessment that there are many bright futures on this 2012 Eagles team, especially after a butt-kicking and fifth straight loss at the hands of none other than the lowly Dallas Cowboys. But I must say I was actually pretty encouraged by a lot of what I saw Sunday afternoon at Lincoln Financial Field.

Sure, this season is disappearing down the drain at a pretty alarming rate, but for those who think if we cut Andy Reid loose after year 14 that the situation is so dire we’ll be stuck trying to claw our way out of the NFL basement for the next 10 seasons, I think you should step back from your Dallas hate and try to look at the big picture.

First, I thought the draft class looked especially good. First overall pick Fletcher Cox was dominant at times. Second round linebacker Mychal Kendricks looked fast and talented. You barely heard fourth rounder Brandon Boykin’s name which, as a corner, is certainly not a bad thing. We may have the makings of a fantastic 1-2 at RB with LeSean McCoy and Bryce Brown, who proved he can pass block like a beast. And Nick Foles was, though not the savior some hoped as well as not the disaster some predicted, calm, collected, and showed command of the huddle and command of the offense.

Riley Cooper, with a wonderful one-handed touchdown on a fade pass to start the scoring for the Birds is starting to look like your new number three wide-receiver, with Damaris Johnson a not too distant runner-up. Jeremy Maclin and Desean Jackson are still very young (Side note: I take umbrage with those who say Maclin isn’t playing well enough. I think he’s had poor circumstances and poor QB play and it’s only a matter of time until he “breaks out”). And Brent Celek and Clay Harbor are a more than capable tight end pairing.

Add in that 2010 first round pick Brandon Graham is starting to look like a legit player, defensive tackle Cedric Thornton is still young and improving, and cornerback Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie probably isn’t going anywhere, and there aren’t quite as many holes as people seem to perceive.

Sure the safety play isn’t great, but I think Nate Allen is at the very least a capable starter and Kurt Coleman is a fantastic number 3 and special teamer. The spot opposite DRC will probably be re-manned in the offseason as Nnamdi Asomugha has not lived up to the billing or his hefty contract, and there will be more than a few other expensive veterans needing replacement, namely Jason Babin and Cullen Jenkins, the latter of which has earned his keep but ultimately has been surpassed on the depth chart.

But really, with the return of a lot of injured players, specifically along the offensive line, and a draft and free agency (albeit, hopefully not too much free agency) focused on the lines and secondary, this team may not require the complete overhaul some seem to suspect it needs.

Add in the fact that the Eagles have the second youngest roster in the league, and at the very least it’s a positive to see a nucleus of young, homegrown Eagle talent play well.