Eagles news: How Chad Johnson almost saw his wish granted

More Eagles news: Chad Johnson's Eagles wish was almost granted.

Recent weeks have been tough on us all. The unfortunate Canadian wildfires we learned of resulted in a few days of poor air quality in the City of Brotherly Love. That forced us indoors, and we tuned into 94 WIP-FM and debated whether or not the process worked before we tried our hands at extensive conversations about what James Harden may or may not do. A bounce-back was needed, and we were given that thanks to our Philadelphia Eagles and a scorching-hot Phillies team.

Following two wins during a three-game home stand versus the L.A. Dodgers, the Phils have locked up 11 series wins. They have also won seven of their last eight games.

We saw some good baseball at Lehigh Valley IronPigs’ Coca-Cola Park too. Team Smith toppled Team Dotson 14-5 at the second annual DeVonta Smith celebrity softball game. Fans in attendance saw some of their favorite Birds and a few NFL stars past and present.

One has never been shy when he finds his way to a microphone.

Eagles news: Chad Johnson says he would have loved to have played in Philadelphia. Believe it or not, he came close to getting his wish.

There was no shortage of brash former NFL stars at the DeVonta Smith celebrity softball game. Terrell Owens rocked out with Team Smith. Chad Johnson and Brandon Marshall were both members of Jahan Dotson's team.

Eagles and Alabama Crimson Tide jerseys were all over the place. The man formerly referred to as Ochocinco got a chance to share his feelings on the NFL's most loyal fans.

Disclaimer: Clip contains some adult language

Johnson was the 36th player taken in Round 2 of the 2001 NFL Draft, 11 spots after the Birds selected Freddie Mitchell at 25. Think about that for a second.

'Fast Freddie' had a ton of nicknames: FredEx, the Sultan of Slot, Hollywood, People's Champ, and First-Down Freddie. We all love him, but let's be honest. He wasn't half the player that Chad Johnson was.

Freddie appeared in 63 regular-season games with 17 starts and another ten postseason games with three more starts. 107 receptions, 1,450 receiving yards, and six career touchdowns resulted from four seasons in Philly.

Chad enjoyed a decade in Cincinnati before catching 15 passes in 15 games during a forgettable swan song with the New England Patriots. His professional resume is as follows: 766 receptions, 11,059 yards, and 67 touchdowns,

He collected the most receiving yards in 2006. He also earned three First-Team All-Pro nods (2004–2006), a Second-Team All-Pro nomination (2003), and six trips to the Pro Bowl (2003–2007, 2009). Aah... what could have been.

Hindsight is always seen in 20-20 vision. History can't be changed, but come on. What might Donovan McNabb have accomplished with an X receiver like Chad? There's only one issue. If there's no 'Fast Freddie', who hauls in that rocket from 5 on '4th and 26'?