The Unreported Story

With all the attention on Brian Dawkins’ exit to the Broncos, the story that got lost over the weekend was the signing of Stacy Andrews as the new right tackle. With both Tra Thomas and John Runyan being free agents, the Eagles needed to do something at both tackle positions. Prior to the start of free agency, I thought it was a close call as to which of those two guys the Eagles should bring back, although I slightly favored Runyan. With the signing of Stacy Andrews, it guarantees that John Runyan will not be coming back. It still remains to be seen if the Eagles will bring back Tra Thomas to protect McNabb’s blind side.

As for the right tackle, I think the signing of Stacy Andrews is a great pick up. He has started 29 games over the last two seasons for the Cincinnati Bengals. While he did have to have off-season knee surgery, he should be back by the beginning of training camp and a knee injury is not near as big a deal as it is for a player who needs to make quick adjustments like a running back, wide receiver or defensive back.

However, the biggest impact of this signing may actually be the effect it has on Shawn Andrews, who is Stacy’s younger brother. Shawn Andrews is the three time Pro-Bowl right guard for the Eagles. Before last year, he was clearly one of the best young lineman in the NFL. However, during last off-season, Shawn Andrews missed most of training camp as he was suffering from severe depression. Eventually, he was able to come back and he started the first two games before missing the rest of the season due to a back injury. If nothing else, hopefully the signing of older brother Stacy will help Shawn Andrews remain grounded and allow him to stay mentally healthy and ready to play.

Other Free Agent Notes

A few other thoughts about the Eagles and free agency so far:

TJ Houshmandzadeh: I know there were a lot of Eagles fans who were anxious to see the team upgrade the wide receivers by signing Houshmandzadeh. I was not one of them and was just as glad he ended up in Seattle. I think that Houshmandzadeh will suffer from what I refer to as Alvin Harper syndrome. For those who don’t remember Alvin Harper, he was the wide receiver on the Cowboys in the mid-nineties when the Cowboys were winning their Superbowls. He had very impressive stats and eventually left to get out from under the shadow of Michael Irvin and be a star receiver with Tampa Bay. How did it work out? He was not a star. Turns out, Harper was good because defenses were paying so much attention to Irvin. Houshmandzadeh has been playing opposite Chad Johnson these last few years and no doubt did not receive the attention in coverage because of it. Always be wary of #2 wide receivers who try and go to another team to be a star. It rarely works out the way the player and new team would hope it would.

Joselio Hanson: Before free agency began, the Eagles made a bold move in signing Joselio Hanson to a long term deal. You may recall that I really liked the way Hanson played but figured the Eagles wouldn’t be able to keep him as a nickel corner. The fact that the signed him to a long term deal tells me one thing: he is the future for the Eagles at cornerback or at least the Eagles see him that way. This was further played out when Lito Sheppard was traded to the Jets at the start of free agency. Anyone who didn’t see the Sheppard trade coming hasn’t been paying attention as Sheppard has wanted to be out for the last year. That being said, Hanson outplayed Sheppard this year, so it is no surprise to see the Eagles resign the younger Hanson over Sheppard. The real question this raises is what does this mean to the future of one Sheldon Brown? For now, the Eagles will probably be content to have three starting corners on their team in Assante Samuel, Sheldon Brown and Joselio Hanson since they use three corners quite a bit in their defensive sets, but in the long term, I would expect to see Sheldon Brown move on. Of course, Sheldon could also become trade bait now as well. Anquan Boldin anyone?

Shawn Springs: Today the Eagles met with free agent Shawn Springs of the Washington Redskins. Springs has played cornerback throughout his twelve year career, but he would most likely be used as a safety in the Eagles defense. As a veteran presence, he would hold the position at free safety until Quintin Demps is ready to take it on full time. All in all, it probably wouldn’t be a bad deal, but if the Eagles sign him, I’ll be anxious to see how much guaranteed money is in the contract. If they have to pay a big signing bonus or guarantee a lot of money, I think I’ll go nuts because they could have done the same thing with Brian Dawkins. Somehow it always comes back to Dawkins, doesn’t it? I know, I have to let it go.

Brian Dawkins – Who’s to Blame?

It still hasn’t completely sunk in that Brian Dawkins will be wearing a uniform that is not Eagles green for this coming season. If you read my post leading into free agency, you know that I felt very strongly that the Eagles needed to do whatever it took to keep Brian Dawkins. I will readily admit that I have had a hard time being rational about this particular issue, but we have to take a look at who’s to blame.

On one hand, the Eagles let a future hall of famer and the heart of their defense leave their team. However, Dawkins is the one that left the team when the Eagles had made him an offer. He had the opportunity, if he wanted, to stay with the team that drafted him 14 years ago. Instead, he chose to leave a playoff team for a non-playoff team for the money. There’s no way around the fact that the main reason Dawkins left was the money.

However, when I look at everything, I have to say that the blame for this debacle clearly lies with the Eagles front office. First of all, they let it get to this point in the first place. Why not give Dawkins a very lucrative offer in February before the free agency period began? Second, they should have ponied up the extra money to match Denver’s offer. I know there is a lot being said about the fact that he got a 5 year deal and he will turn 36 years old during this coming season. But the money is only guaranteed for the first two years. Over the first two years of the deal, the Broncos are paying Dawkins $9Million and $7.2Million is guaranteed. According to Howard Eskin, who, let’s face it, is a lap dog for Andy Reid and the front office, the Eagles were willing to guarantee Dawkins $5Million. Why not just throw in the extra $2.2Million? It makes no sense.

Granted Dawkins clearly has lost a step, but Jim Johnson had figured out an effective way to use him in taking him out of one on one coverage and bringing him up closer to the line of scrimmage to cause havoc with the other team’s schemes. Additionally, Dawkins was clearly the heart and soul of the defense and in that respect, he will be irreplaceable.

There is one other reason I place the blame for this on the Eagles: they have continually operated by letting their veteran players go when they felt they were getting too old. Think about the following names: Jeremiah Trotter, Hugh Douglas, Duce Staley, Brian Mitchell. The Eagles almost placed pride in the fact that they let these players go a year too early rather than a year too late. For the most part, this approach has worked well for the Eagles. The problem is that the other players take notice which makes them less likely to stay if they don’t feel they will be appreciated. So if you do have someone who would cause you to rethink this rule, it becomes a much more difficult proposition than it needs to be. Given this history, which now includes Brian Dawkins, it makes me wonder how much more difficult it will make things with Donovan McNabb when and if they try to extend his contract.

As for now, I will continue to root for the Eagles, but part of me will be rooting for Denver this year as well. Someone asked me if I would be trashing my Dawkins jersey now. An interesting point to this coming season is that the Denver Broncos will be playing the Eagles in Philadelphia this season. I told him that, no I would be keeping the jersey and in fact, I plan on wearing it to the Eagles/Broncos game as a sign of my disapproval with the organization letting him go.

Say it Isn’t So

I’ll do a more a more “rational” posting with more analysis probably later today. For now (with all apologies to Hall & Oates for misusing their song), I think the following sums up my feelings on Brian Dawkins moving on to the Broncos:

Say it isn't so painful to tell me that you're dissatisfied.
Last time I asked you I really got a lame excuse.
I know that you lied.
Now wicked things can happen...you see 'em goin' down in war.
But when you play in a quiet way that bites it even more.
[Say it]
Tell me what you want yeah
I'll do it baby I promise right now. [Say it]
Who propped you up when you were stopped low motivation had you on the ground.
I know your first reaction you slide away hide away goodbye.
But if there's a doubt maybe I can give out a thousand reasons why.
You have to say it isn't so... [it isn't so].
I say it isn't so [it isn't so]
I say it isn't so [it isn't so].
I say it isn't so [it isn't so]

[Say it]
We like to be the strangers at the party, two rebels in a shell. [Say it]
You like to move with the best of them you know we move so well.
Don't need someone to lean on. I know that there's an open door.
But if I'm faced with being replaced I want you even more so baby say it isn't so... [it isn't so].
I say it isn't so [it isn't so].
I say it isn't so [it isn't so]
I say it isn't so [it isn't so]

[Say it; Say it isn't so]
[Say it; Say it isn't so]
Why you gonna go do you hafta say you wanna go ooh ooh baby say it isn't... [Say it isn't] Say say say it isn't [say it isn't] so [so say it isn't]
Why do you have to say it isn't. [say it isn't] so[say it isn't]
so [so say it isn't]
I know it's so hard for you... [say it isn't] so hard [say it isn't]
Don't say baby.[so say it isn't]
There must be some other way. [Say it isn't]
Don't have to. [Say it isn't]
Some other way. [so say it isn't]
You don't have to say. [say it isn't]
Oh don't you say [so say it isn't]
Oh you know I want to make you...