***
I wrote about Moise Fokou at SAM for PE.com.
--Link--
MCNABB MUST GO?
There are some people who now say that McNabb has to be dealt. There is no going back. In as sense, I agree. When the team and players have to deal with the Philly media you are asking for trouble by having a delicate, but complex QB situation. The Eagles should aggressively seek a deal for McNabb. They need to be careful about trying to get max value in this situation. The best solution for everyone involved is a trade.
That said...you cannot give him away. Get a good offer. Franchise QBs are too valuable. This is a game of chicken and you must be willing to lose in order to really win. Favre could always flip on the Vikes in July. What happens if Drew Brees or Peyton Manning gets hurt in TC with no legit backup? What if Matt Leinart and Derek Anderson are god awful for the Cards? And so on. You can trade McNabb prior to the draft. You can do it in June, July, August, or even September.
We all want this situation resolved ASAP. I think we're all tired of talking about it and thinking about it. This just isn't a situation that we control, in a manner of speaking. We must have a good offer. If not, then holding onto McNabb is the prudent thing to do, despite the media circus that would ensue.
Before everyone goes to jump off the roof at the notion of this thing dragging on or not happening at all...relax. The Raiders are talking to the Eagles. Trust me on that. There are multiple team involved and they all legitimately want McNabb. The teams are making plans at this point. The only point in dealing for McNabb is if you have some pieces in place and a good plan on how to use him. Teams are trying to come up with a good draft strategy. Can they deal a 1st to us and still get a LT in the 2nd round? Can they find a WR in the 3rd? Is there a young QB to develop in the mid rounds? And so on.
I really think that a trade will go down and it is just a matter of time. Let's not get too fired up on what to do if McNabb returns until that is a pertinent scenario. Focus on something relevant...like what Kevin Kolb will say when he's giving his HOF acceptance speech.
COMMENTS / ANSWERS
RE: Raiders LBs as targets
Kirk Morrison is a MLB. I don't see him being a WLB target for us. Thomas Howard? More of a finesse guy, but he is a good athlete with coverage skills. I would be interested. The catch is that he's a RFA and we'd have to make some plans to sign him to an extension. What kind of salary demands is he going to have? If reasonable, then I'm interested. If he's looking for a mega-deal...he isn't worth it.
RE: Asante Samuel
He is not on the trade block. Asante is simply spending time with his kids. He will be an Eagle in 2010.
RE: ProFootballTalk
It is one of my favorite sites to visit and it is the very first thing I click on in the morning and the last thing I click on at night. Great site. Mike Florio does a terrific job of providing all kinds of info. However...the key part of his site is called "The Rumor Mill" for a reason. It is rumors. Conjecture. Hearsay. Florio at time gets sloppy by reporting some nuggets of info that don't make sense. You do have to understand that he's not an Eagles fan. He doesn't know the ins and outs of our team. Mike also has lousy sources in Philly. He actually seems to think Sal Paolantonio knows the Eagles and has a feel for things. Mike has great sources in certain towns, not so in others. Don't focus too much on what he says about the Eagles.
RE: Eric Berry
I've asked around to see if the Eagles are interested or just curious. No answers yet. I'm sure they like him. The question is whether they covet him and will do whatever it takes to get him. Personally I think we send Jonas Blane and his team into Tennessee to extract Eric and bring him to Philly where he will be free to live a life of religious fulfillment. I'll let you guys know if I get wind that the Eagles are really hot for Berry. Trust me. I'd be like a kid in a candy store if I got that news.
___
Tuesday, March 30, 2010
Monday, March 29, 2010
Monday Thoughts
***
Sorry for the late update. Busy day. I did a lot of checking, but didn't come up with many good answers. With Reid and Banner out of the office* there isn't much going on in terms of negotiations. The rumor mill is in full force. The feeling in NFL circles is that the Raiders are still the team to beat. I'm still hearing that Jacksonville and Buffalo are in the mix. No real updates on offers. The same names are still being thrown around. I'll keep checking and will let you know when I get wind of something new or really interesting.
* UPDATE --- Banner / Reid might be back in Philly by now.
ANSWERING QUESTIONS
RE: 1-gap / 2-gap
There is still a lot of confusion on this issue. Adam Caplan continues to say we're a 1-gap team and have always been one. I think he is confused on this issue. Dave Spadaro is going to interview Sean McDermott on this issue at some point.
RE: depth at RDE
Juqua Parker becomes the top backup on both sides. We have Abiamiri, who is recovering from knee surgery, to play on the left side. There is a hole to be filled in the draft. There is always the possibility of adding a veteran FA. I don't think we'll go this route, but it will depend on how the draft goes. I'll post a list of mid-round targets in a day or two. We all know the names at the top of the draft.
RE: timing of QB trade
I think the Eagles would like to get something done in the next 10-14 days. The key is the other teams. They have to put the right offer on the table. As soon as that happens, the deal can go down.
RE: Berry early / Kyle at 24?
That is a distinct possibility. We allowed 27 TD passes last year. That is completely unacceptable. The pass rush wasn't great, but we had serious coverage issues. We're not one player away from fixing this. We could easily go DB-DB in the 1st with a trade or DB-DB in the first couple of rounds without a trade.
RE: Daniel Teo'Nesheim
There is a lot to like, but he's not a great pass rusher. He was real athletic at the Combine, but that doesn't show up on game tape. Good role player, but I see him more as a LDE than a pass rusher on the right side.
RE: compensation
I think a lot of people will be surprised with what we get when the deal goes down. There will be no yard sales with our franchise QB. He stays or we get a good deal.
___
Sorry for the late update. Busy day. I did a lot of checking, but didn't come up with many good answers. With Reid and Banner out of the office* there isn't much going on in terms of negotiations. The rumor mill is in full force. The feeling in NFL circles is that the Raiders are still the team to beat. I'm still hearing that Jacksonville and Buffalo are in the mix. No real updates on offers. The same names are still being thrown around. I'll keep checking and will let you know when I get wind of something new or really interesting.
* UPDATE --- Banner / Reid might be back in Philly by now.
ANSWERING QUESTIONS
RE: 1-gap / 2-gap
There is still a lot of confusion on this issue. Adam Caplan continues to say we're a 1-gap team and have always been one. I think he is confused on this issue. Dave Spadaro is going to interview Sean McDermott on this issue at some point.
RE: depth at RDE
Juqua Parker becomes the top backup on both sides. We have Abiamiri, who is recovering from knee surgery, to play on the left side. There is a hole to be filled in the draft. There is always the possibility of adding a veteran FA. I don't think we'll go this route, but it will depend on how the draft goes. I'll post a list of mid-round targets in a day or two. We all know the names at the top of the draft.
RE: timing of QB trade
I think the Eagles would like to get something done in the next 10-14 days. The key is the other teams. They have to put the right offer on the table. As soon as that happens, the deal can go down.
RE: Berry early / Kyle at 24?
That is a distinct possibility. We allowed 27 TD passes last year. That is completely unacceptable. The pass rush wasn't great, but we had serious coverage issues. We're not one player away from fixing this. We could easily go DB-DB in the 1st with a trade or DB-DB in the first couple of rounds without a trade.
RE: Daniel Teo'Nesheim
There is a lot to like, but he's not a great pass rusher. He was real athletic at the Combine, but that doesn't show up on game tape. Good role player, but I see him more as a LDE than a pass rusher on the right side.
RE: compensation
I think a lot of people will be surprised with what we get when the deal goes down. There will be no yard sales with our franchise QB. He stays or we get a good deal.
___
Saturday, March 27, 2010
Draft Talk
***
It is a quiet Saturday so I thought we'd talk a little NFL draft. I'm just going to address various players and/or topics.
* Top 10 targets --- It the Eagles do somehow land a high pick, who are we going after? S Eric Berry is the obvious answer. Macho, Marlin, and Demps notwithstanding, we do have a hole at FS. Berry is a great prospect. The Eagles may have some other ideas. We could also go after:
DT Dan Williams
DE Derrick Morgan
CB Joe Haden
FS Earl Thomas
Williams would be brought here to give us a big, athletic DT. Morgan is a good pass rusher who has excellent potential. Haden is the top CB. Thomas is a rare ballhawk.
Forget about Rolando McClain. That won't happen. The Eagles love Stewart Bradley...at MLB. There is virtually no chance of moving him. A wildcard target could be OL Mike Iupati.
Back to Berry for a second. The Eagles are bringing him to Philly for a visit. This could be a sign of significant interest. If so, the Eagles could try to move up after him even if the McNabb trade doesn't help us with resources. One of the reasons you spend a lot of time with certain guys is to find out just how much you like them. Is this a guy we covet and go after even with a high price tag? This is a deep draft. If you are going to use up multiple resources on a player he better be someone you think is absolutely worth the price.
* WLB --- We all are curious about LB. Moise Fokou will be the starter at SAM. Stew is the man in the middle. Akeem Jordan has the lead at WIL, but I've heard that the team would ideally like him to be the backup. Reid said at his breakfast that Joe Mays was the backup inside and that Gaither would be the backup WIL. The team must really feel that the light went on for Mays last year with his development on STs. He was terrific for us. Gaither is coming off an injury and can't be counted on. We need a WIL.
My preference is Sean Lee of Penn State. He played inside and outside at PSU. He is a physical player with good instincts. He has no problem with shedding blocks. Sean isn't a great athlete, but he's good enough. I also like Navorro Bowman of PSU. I don't think we'll spend pick 24 on a LB so forget about Weatherspoon and Washington. I'm still watching tape on Perry Riley of LSU and Dekoda Watson of FSU.
* CJ Spiller --- Is there a chance the Eagles could take him, whether trading up or if he somehow slides? I haven't heard a word about whether the Eagles have any interest. Spiller is our type of RB. He is a big play guy with tremendous receiving skills. He's also a dynamic return specialist. Back in 2006 the Eagles had Reggie Bush #1 on the overall draft board. Spiller is a similar player. CJ is the better straight-line runner. Bush was a more dynamic guy. His moves had moves. It would be hard to pass on a talent like Spiller, but that would also be a big investment for a team that doesn't run the ball enough and has a couple of RBs already in place. I certainly wouldn't be mad at them for taking Spiller. I think CJ is a tremendous player. Just don't count on that happening.
* Targets at 24 --- Tom Heckert always said the Eagles liked to have 5 names in place when their pick was coming up. Sometimes there would be an obvious choice, but other times guys had similar grades and there might be some discussion. We're still weeks away, but here is my preliminary list of 5 names for pick 24:
CB Kyle Wilson
OG Mike Iupati
DE Jerry Hughes
DE Brandon Graham
FS Earl Thomas
Wilson is the only CB I think that will be available and is worth the pick. Iupati might be available at 24. He's the kind of big, dominant run blocker we love to grab and then turn into a pass blocker. Hughes is a guy that I can't get a read on. Will he go in the Top 20 or last to the 2nd round? I like Jerry a lot and think he'd be a good target for us. Graham doesn't seem likely to make it to 24, but if he does we could use a pass rusher like him coming off the bench. I feel pretty certain that Earl Thomas will be long gone by 24, but there is a hint of doubt. He's not a strong tackler. He only played 2 years. The draft is pretty deep at Safety so teams may pass on him and focus on the lines. There is still a bias against Safeties by NFL coaches, GMs and scouts. We'll see if that changes this year.
Back to the grindstone now. I've got to watch more tape so that I can find us some good mid and late round targets.
___
It is a quiet Saturday so I thought we'd talk a little NFL draft. I'm just going to address various players and/or topics.
* Top 10 targets --- It the Eagles do somehow land a high pick, who are we going after? S Eric Berry is the obvious answer. Macho, Marlin, and Demps notwithstanding, we do have a hole at FS. Berry is a great prospect. The Eagles may have some other ideas. We could also go after:
DT Dan Williams
DE Derrick Morgan
CB Joe Haden
FS Earl Thomas
Williams would be brought here to give us a big, athletic DT. Morgan is a good pass rusher who has excellent potential. Haden is the top CB. Thomas is a rare ballhawk.
Forget about Rolando McClain. That won't happen. The Eagles love Stewart Bradley...at MLB. There is virtually no chance of moving him. A wildcard target could be OL Mike Iupati.
Back to Berry for a second. The Eagles are bringing him to Philly for a visit. This could be a sign of significant interest. If so, the Eagles could try to move up after him even if the McNabb trade doesn't help us with resources. One of the reasons you spend a lot of time with certain guys is to find out just how much you like them. Is this a guy we covet and go after even with a high price tag? This is a deep draft. If you are going to use up multiple resources on a player he better be someone you think is absolutely worth the price.
* WLB --- We all are curious about LB. Moise Fokou will be the starter at SAM. Stew is the man in the middle. Akeem Jordan has the lead at WIL, but I've heard that the team would ideally like him to be the backup. Reid said at his breakfast that Joe Mays was the backup inside and that Gaither would be the backup WIL. The team must really feel that the light went on for Mays last year with his development on STs. He was terrific for us. Gaither is coming off an injury and can't be counted on. We need a WIL.
My preference is Sean Lee of Penn State. He played inside and outside at PSU. He is a physical player with good instincts. He has no problem with shedding blocks. Sean isn't a great athlete, but he's good enough. I also like Navorro Bowman of PSU. I don't think we'll spend pick 24 on a LB so forget about Weatherspoon and Washington. I'm still watching tape on Perry Riley of LSU and Dekoda Watson of FSU.
* CJ Spiller --- Is there a chance the Eagles could take him, whether trading up or if he somehow slides? I haven't heard a word about whether the Eagles have any interest. Spiller is our type of RB. He is a big play guy with tremendous receiving skills. He's also a dynamic return specialist. Back in 2006 the Eagles had Reggie Bush #1 on the overall draft board. Spiller is a similar player. CJ is the better straight-line runner. Bush was a more dynamic guy. His moves had moves. It would be hard to pass on a talent like Spiller, but that would also be a big investment for a team that doesn't run the ball enough and has a couple of RBs already in place. I certainly wouldn't be mad at them for taking Spiller. I think CJ is a tremendous player. Just don't count on that happening.
* Targets at 24 --- Tom Heckert always said the Eagles liked to have 5 names in place when their pick was coming up. Sometimes there would be an obvious choice, but other times guys had similar grades and there might be some discussion. We're still weeks away, but here is my preliminary list of 5 names for pick 24:
CB Kyle Wilson
OG Mike Iupati
DE Jerry Hughes
DE Brandon Graham
FS Earl Thomas
Wilson is the only CB I think that will be available and is worth the pick. Iupati might be available at 24. He's the kind of big, dominant run blocker we love to grab and then turn into a pass blocker. Hughes is a guy that I can't get a read on. Will he go in the Top 20 or last to the 2nd round? I like Jerry a lot and think he'd be a good target for us. Graham doesn't seem likely to make it to 24, but if he does we could use a pass rusher like him coming off the bench. I feel pretty certain that Earl Thomas will be long gone by 24, but there is a hint of doubt. He's not a strong tackler. He only played 2 years. The draft is pretty deep at Safety so teams may pass on him and focus on the lines. There is still a bias against Safeties by NFL coaches, GMs and scouts. We'll see if that changes this year.
Back to the grindstone now. I've got to watch more tape so that I can find us some good mid and late round targets.
___
Friday, March 26, 2010
No New News
***
I don't have an update at this point. I'm assuming that negotiations are ongoing. The Eagles have been talking to multiple teams. You have picks and possibly multiple players involved. This quickly becomes a complicated scenario. One of the keys is that one or more players will need to talk to their new team about a contract extension or a raise. As much as we all want this over now, we have to be patient. There are a lot of moving parts to the deals being looked at.
Let's talk about a few things. ProFootballTalk had several posts on the McNabb situation. One report they posted had us sending McNabb and Asante Samuel to the Raiders for CB Nnamdi Asomugha. Don't worry. That won't happen. I don't doubt that someone told Mike Florio this was on the table. All that means is that the Raiders said it as one of their offers. The Eagles wouldn't touch a move like that. Now, Sheldon Brown and McNabb for Asomugha? That is a different story. That could be talked about. I haven't heard that as a definite proposal. I'm simply speculating.
PFT also talked about an AP report that the Eagles were requiring at least a top 42 pick. I don't doubt this is true. PFT focused on the fact that the article involved picks as low as 42. Their conclusion was that the Eagles weren't getting 1st round offers and would have to settle for a 2nd round pick. The actual AP article got the key point right. The Eagles will only accept a pick in the 2nd round if the other teams is also adding veteran players to the deal. There is no way that McNabb is dealt straight up for a 2nd round pick.
I'm still hearing that teams are willing to give up 1st round picks. I could be getting bad information, but I trust the sources. Hopefully we'll get a deal done soon and we can find out who really knew what was going on. As Tom Petty said, the waiting is the hardest part.
33 TALK
A lot of people have made one big false conclusion regarding Andy Reid and the McNabb trade. He was talking to reporters at the coaches breakfast the other day when someone asked him about the new draft format. Big Red said that the new set-up is going to be interesting. He said that he'd love to have pick 33. That is the first pick of the 2nd round. The 1st round is Thursday night. Whoever has pick 33 then gets a whole day to look at the situation. They can shop the pick. They can rshuffle the board if they want. They can make a pro move to fill a hole and then draft some player who has slid out of the 1st round. There are lots of options. This is why Reid said he wanted pick 33.
All kinds of people assumed that Andy said this because he wanted the Rams #33 pick in a McNabb trade. No. Andy was giving a generic answer about the format.
BERRY IS GOD
Eric Berry is my favorite player in the upcoming draft class. He was a star Safety at the University of Tennessee. He's expected to be a Top 10 pick. The Eagles are bringing him in for a visit prior to the draft. Great news, right? Sort of.
The Eagles are arguably the most thorough team in the league when it comes to pre-draft preparation. They look under every rock in hopes of finding a hidden gem. The Eagles will bring some guys to Philly that don't always make sense. They bring in underclassmen to get a better feel for them. Scouts spend all summer and fall studying Senior prospects. Underclassmen don't get really looked at until they declare in January. Berry is a player I'm sure the Eagles like, but don't read too much into the visit. The Eagles are trying to figure out how much they like him. Is he worth trading up for? How big a price should we be willing to pay?
The Eagles also use visits to Philly as a smokescreen. They know that other teams around the league track who goes where. The Eagles bring in a few guys every year that they have no interest in. Zero. Guys not on the draft board at all. The goal is to make the other 31 teams unsure about what we really want to do.
If we do land a Top 10 pick in a trade, the Eagles had better not pass on Eric Berry if he's available. I'm prepared to lead the Eagles Fan Militia to storm the gates of the NovaCare Complex. Hopefully bringing Eric to Philly is a sign of genuine interest and not just a smokescreen. Berry would be an ideal FS for us.
___
I don't have an update at this point. I'm assuming that negotiations are ongoing. The Eagles have been talking to multiple teams. You have picks and possibly multiple players involved. This quickly becomes a complicated scenario. One of the keys is that one or more players will need to talk to their new team about a contract extension or a raise. As much as we all want this over now, we have to be patient. There are a lot of moving parts to the deals being looked at.
Let's talk about a few things. ProFootballTalk had several posts on the McNabb situation. One report they posted had us sending McNabb and Asante Samuel to the Raiders for CB Nnamdi Asomugha. Don't worry. That won't happen. I don't doubt that someone told Mike Florio this was on the table. All that means is that the Raiders said it as one of their offers. The Eagles wouldn't touch a move like that. Now, Sheldon Brown and McNabb for Asomugha? That is a different story. That could be talked about. I haven't heard that as a definite proposal. I'm simply speculating.
PFT also talked about an AP report that the Eagles were requiring at least a top 42 pick. I don't doubt this is true. PFT focused on the fact that the article involved picks as low as 42. Their conclusion was that the Eagles weren't getting 1st round offers and would have to settle for a 2nd round pick. The actual AP article got the key point right. The Eagles will only accept a pick in the 2nd round if the other teams is also adding veteran players to the deal. There is no way that McNabb is dealt straight up for a 2nd round pick.
I'm still hearing that teams are willing to give up 1st round picks. I could be getting bad information, but I trust the sources. Hopefully we'll get a deal done soon and we can find out who really knew what was going on. As Tom Petty said, the waiting is the hardest part.
33 TALK
A lot of people have made one big false conclusion regarding Andy Reid and the McNabb trade. He was talking to reporters at the coaches breakfast the other day when someone asked him about the new draft format. Big Red said that the new set-up is going to be interesting. He said that he'd love to have pick 33. That is the first pick of the 2nd round. The 1st round is Thursday night. Whoever has pick 33 then gets a whole day to look at the situation. They can shop the pick. They can rshuffle the board if they want. They can make a pro move to fill a hole and then draft some player who has slid out of the 1st round. There are lots of options. This is why Reid said he wanted pick 33.
All kinds of people assumed that Andy said this because he wanted the Rams #33 pick in a McNabb trade. No. Andy was giving a generic answer about the format.
BERRY IS GOD
Eric Berry is my favorite player in the upcoming draft class. He was a star Safety at the University of Tennessee. He's expected to be a Top 10 pick. The Eagles are bringing him in for a visit prior to the draft. Great news, right? Sort of.
The Eagles are arguably the most thorough team in the league when it comes to pre-draft preparation. They look under every rock in hopes of finding a hidden gem. The Eagles will bring some guys to Philly that don't always make sense. They bring in underclassmen to get a better feel for them. Scouts spend all summer and fall studying Senior prospects. Underclassmen don't get really looked at until they declare in January. Berry is a player I'm sure the Eagles like, but don't read too much into the visit. The Eagles are trying to figure out how much they like him. Is he worth trading up for? How big a price should we be willing to pay?
The Eagles also use visits to Philly as a smokescreen. They know that other teams around the league track who goes where. The Eagles bring in a few guys every year that they have no interest in. Zero. Guys not on the draft board at all. The goal is to make the other 31 teams unsure about what we really want to do.
If we do land a Top 10 pick in a trade, the Eagles had better not pass on Eric Berry if he's available. I'm prepared to lead the Eagles Fan Militia to storm the gates of the NovaCare Complex. Hopefully bringing Eric to Philly is a sign of genuine interest and not just a smokescreen. Berry would be an ideal FS for us.
___
Thursday, March 25, 2010
Oakland in the Lead
***
The latest reports I'm getting are that the Raiders are the frontrunners. ProFootballTalk is saying the same thing. The Jaguars remain interested, but it seems as if the Raiders are being more aggressive with their offer. I don't have any firm details, but the 8th overall pick in the 2010 draft is being talked about. Jacksonville may try to come up with a counter-offer, but it doesn't seem like they want to get into a bidding war.
The Buffalo Bills were the primary focus in yesterday's talks. I don't know what is happening with them. Maybe McNabb refused to sign an extension. Maybe the Bills and Eagles couldn't agree on compensation. I don't have good info on this angle right now. Don't count Buffalo out, but they are no longer in the lead.
As for Donovan going to the Raiders...this move makes some sense when you think about it. They have a pair of talented RBs in Darren McFadden and Michael Bush. They have a good TE in Zach Miller. They have 3 talented young WRs - Chaz Schilens, Louis Murphy, and Darrius Heyward-Bey. DHB could turn out to be a Sidney Rice type player with McNabb throwing him the ball instead of Bruce Gradkowski or JaMarcus Russell.
Also, wearing the Silver and Black doesn't mean much to younger people, but those of us who watched football in the 70s and 80s loved the Raiders. They won games, played a wild brand of football, and were a lot of fun to watch. Being a Raider still means something to people over the age of 30. Since 2003 the organization has fallen on hard times. Adding a Pro Bowl QB might be a great way to change that.
I think McNabb might be more open to going to Oakland than many people think. It would give him a great opportunity to prove how good he can be. Kurt Warner solidified himself as a Hall of Fame player by leading the Cardinals to consecutive division titles and the Super Bowl. McNabb could do a similar thing if he could restore the Raiders to glory.
Stay tuned.
___
The latest reports I'm getting are that the Raiders are the frontrunners. ProFootballTalk is saying the same thing. The Jaguars remain interested, but it seems as if the Raiders are being more aggressive with their offer. I don't have any firm details, but the 8th overall pick in the 2010 draft is being talked about. Jacksonville may try to come up with a counter-offer, but it doesn't seem like they want to get into a bidding war.
The Buffalo Bills were the primary focus in yesterday's talks. I don't know what is happening with them. Maybe McNabb refused to sign an extension. Maybe the Bills and Eagles couldn't agree on compensation. I don't have good info on this angle right now. Don't count Buffalo out, but they are no longer in the lead.
As for Donovan going to the Raiders...this move makes some sense when you think about it. They have a pair of talented RBs in Darren McFadden and Michael Bush. They have a good TE in Zach Miller. They have 3 talented young WRs - Chaz Schilens, Louis Murphy, and Darrius Heyward-Bey. DHB could turn out to be a Sidney Rice type player with McNabb throwing him the ball instead of Bruce Gradkowski or JaMarcus Russell.
Also, wearing the Silver and Black doesn't mean much to younger people, but those of us who watched football in the 70s and 80s loved the Raiders. They won games, played a wild brand of football, and were a lot of fun to watch. Being a Raider still means something to people over the age of 30. Since 2003 the organization has fallen on hard times. Adding a Pro Bowl QB might be a great way to change that.
I think McNabb might be more open to going to Oakland than many people think. It would give him a great opportunity to prove how good he can be. Kurt Warner solidified himself as a Hall of Fame player by leading the Cardinals to consecutive division titles and the Super Bowl. McNabb could do a similar thing if he could restore the Raiders to glory.
Stay tuned.
___
McNabb Talks Getting Serious
***
Here's the latest on the QB situation. The Eagles are talking to 3 teams. Buffalo, Oakland, and Jacksonville have all made serious inquiries into trading for McNabb. The Eagles are trying to see who will make the best offer. All 3 teams have shown some willingness to deal their 1st round pick. There is a lot of talking going on. The Eagles are also exploring scenarios where a lesser pick and veteran player would be the compensation.
This is all good news. The Bills, Raiders, and Jags are aware of each others interest. The situation has gone from the Eagles hoping for a suitor to the Eagles being able to negotiate with multiple teams. I don't think anyone is going to put together a blockbuster offer. While all 3 teams are interested, none of them "must get" McNabb. The Bills need a QB, but just got a new coach and know that 2010 isn't likely to be their year. The Raiders are growing weary of JaMarcus Russell, but Al Davis might not be willing to completely give up on him yet. The Jags have a solid QB in David Garrard. They would make the deal in order to add a marquee name improve the QB situation. They are open to dealing their pick in part because they've had such miserable luck with recent 1st rounders.
This situation is pretty complicated. The Eagles have to settle on an offer from one of the teams. Then that team will certainly want to talk to McNabb to see what he thinks about playing there and signing an extension. His contract does run out at the end of 2010. There have been reports that Donovan won't sign with some of these teams. I'm not so sure. He doesn't have a lot of bargaining power right now. If one of those teams makes the right contract offer that may be good enough.
What kind of a timeline are we looking at? Believe it or not, this could all get done in the next day or two. Or it could drag on for a couple of weeks. The sooner the better, obviously. Even McNabb said that. Nothing good happens from letting this situation linger.
As encouraged as many of us are by the last 24 hours, there is still stuff to be nervous about. The Eagles had a similar situation with Corey Simon that ended up in disaster. They had a good offer from the Ravens, but Corey's contract demands were too much. Same thing with Lito. The Eagles had worked out a good deal, but then Lito made his contract demands and that deal fell apart. The Eagles need to be careful about trying to hold out for the best possible offer. If things go too long that can drive teams out of the negotiations and then all it takes is McNabb being difficult to completely wreck the situation. There is a big difference this time around. McNabb is still a good player. Lito and Corey were inconsistent players who focused more on money than anything else. Plus, McNabb is a quality available QB in a year when there isn't much to choose from.
Be patient, but you can be optimistic. Things are heating up and heading in the right direction.
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Here's the latest on the QB situation. The Eagles are talking to 3 teams. Buffalo, Oakland, and Jacksonville have all made serious inquiries into trading for McNabb. The Eagles are trying to see who will make the best offer. All 3 teams have shown some willingness to deal their 1st round pick. There is a lot of talking going on. The Eagles are also exploring scenarios where a lesser pick and veteran player would be the compensation.
This is all good news. The Bills, Raiders, and Jags are aware of each others interest. The situation has gone from the Eagles hoping for a suitor to the Eagles being able to negotiate with multiple teams. I don't think anyone is going to put together a blockbuster offer. While all 3 teams are interested, none of them "must get" McNabb. The Bills need a QB, but just got a new coach and know that 2010 isn't likely to be their year. The Raiders are growing weary of JaMarcus Russell, but Al Davis might not be willing to completely give up on him yet. The Jags have a solid QB in David Garrard. They would make the deal in order to add a marquee name improve the QB situation. They are open to dealing their pick in part because they've had such miserable luck with recent 1st rounders.
This situation is pretty complicated. The Eagles have to settle on an offer from one of the teams. Then that team will certainly want to talk to McNabb to see what he thinks about playing there and signing an extension. His contract does run out at the end of 2010. There have been reports that Donovan won't sign with some of these teams. I'm not so sure. He doesn't have a lot of bargaining power right now. If one of those teams makes the right contract offer that may be good enough.
What kind of a timeline are we looking at? Believe it or not, this could all get done in the next day or two. Or it could drag on for a couple of weeks. The sooner the better, obviously. Even McNabb said that. Nothing good happens from letting this situation linger.
As encouraged as many of us are by the last 24 hours, there is still stuff to be nervous about. The Eagles had a similar situation with Corey Simon that ended up in disaster. They had a good offer from the Ravens, but Corey's contract demands were too much. Same thing with Lito. The Eagles had worked out a good deal, but then Lito made his contract demands and that deal fell apart. The Eagles need to be careful about trying to hold out for the best possible offer. If things go too long that can drive teams out of the negotiations and then all it takes is McNabb being difficult to completely wreck the situation. There is a big difference this time around. McNabb is still a good player. Lito and Corey were inconsistent players who focused more on money than anything else. Plus, McNabb is a quality available QB in a year when there isn't much to choose from.
Be patient, but you can be optimistic. Things are heating up and heading in the right direction.
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Wednesday, March 24, 2010
QB Update
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I'm hearing that something could be going on with the Bills. The info comes from a new source so I don't know how well connected he is. He feels strongly that the Bills are going to land McNabb for a few reasons. First, they have very little at QB. Trent Edwards flat-lined after suffering a nasty concussion vs Arizona in 2008. Yes, 2008. Despite this fact, the Bills did not try to sign any free agent QB. They didn't try to trade for anyone. Not a peep. Either they love Jimmy Clausen at pick 9, think that Tim Tebow is the answer in the 2nd round, or they have something else lined up. McNabb would make sense.
The Bills have not made the playoffs since the Music City Miracle. That was back in the 1999 season. Owner Ralph Wilson is in his 90s and is desperate to see the team get back to winning. Finally, while Bills fans are as rabid as any in the league, the organization has to fight the battle of people becoming apathetic about the team. They signed TO last year partially for the allure he brings and the extra media attention. McNabb would give them immediate star power and would help with maintaining good will with the fanbase. The team is coming off another losing year. The team hired Buddy Nix as GM and Chan Gailey as coach. Neither guy is "exciting". Buffalo is in the same division as Bill Belichick, the Tuna, and Rex Ryan. The Bills might feel the need to do something in order to make the fans feel like the organization truly is committed to winning.
What kind of trade could we be looking at? I guarantee you that pick #9 is being talked about. I do wonder if we would settle for their 2nd round pick if the Bills included FS Jairus Byrd, who had 9 INTs as a rookie in 2009 and looks like a star in the making. Stay tuned...
OTHER TEAMS?
There is a ton of talk about the Rams. I just don't buy it. Pick 33? The Eagles want more. The Rams could toss in the rights to O.J. Atogwe, but he doesn't require compensation as it is. I think STL is going to take Sam Bradford with the #1 overall pick. Adding him and McNabb makes some sense, but probably isn't likely.
Oakland is a wildcard. I'm looking into that situation, but don't have anything to pass on right now. Owner Al Davis will do anything it takes to get a player he wants. We could talk to them about pick #8 or we could see if Namdi Asomugha is available in a deal.
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I'm hearing that something could be going on with the Bills. The info comes from a new source so I don't know how well connected he is. He feels strongly that the Bills are going to land McNabb for a few reasons. First, they have very little at QB. Trent Edwards flat-lined after suffering a nasty concussion vs Arizona in 2008. Yes, 2008. Despite this fact, the Bills did not try to sign any free agent QB. They didn't try to trade for anyone. Not a peep. Either they love Jimmy Clausen at pick 9, think that Tim Tebow is the answer in the 2nd round, or they have something else lined up. McNabb would make sense.
The Bills have not made the playoffs since the Music City Miracle. That was back in the 1999 season. Owner Ralph Wilson is in his 90s and is desperate to see the team get back to winning. Finally, while Bills fans are as rabid as any in the league, the organization has to fight the battle of people becoming apathetic about the team. They signed TO last year partially for the allure he brings and the extra media attention. McNabb would give them immediate star power and would help with maintaining good will with the fanbase. The team is coming off another losing year. The team hired Buddy Nix as GM and Chan Gailey as coach. Neither guy is "exciting". Buffalo is in the same division as Bill Belichick, the Tuna, and Rex Ryan. The Bills might feel the need to do something in order to make the fans feel like the organization truly is committed to winning.
What kind of trade could we be looking at? I guarantee you that pick #9 is being talked about. I do wonder if we would settle for their 2nd round pick if the Bills included FS Jairus Byrd, who had 9 INTs as a rookie in 2009 and looks like a star in the making. Stay tuned...
OTHER TEAMS?
There is a ton of talk about the Rams. I just don't buy it. Pick 33? The Eagles want more. The Rams could toss in the rights to O.J. Atogwe, but he doesn't require compensation as it is. I think STL is going to take Sam Bradford with the #1 overall pick. Adding him and McNabb makes some sense, but probably isn't likely.
Oakland is a wildcard. I'm looking into that situation, but don't have anything to pass on right now. Owner Al Davis will do anything it takes to get a player he wants. We could talk to them about pick #8 or we could see if Namdi Asomugha is available in a deal.
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