Heckert Promoted to Eagles GM

[SD_Eagle5]

PE.com link

HECKERT NAMED EAGLES' GM 




January 2, 2006
By CHRIS McPHERSON


Tom Heckert is not leaving Philadelphia.
Amid reports that Heckert was a top candidate for general manager positions around the league, the Eagles announced Monday night that Heckert has been named the team's general manager.


RB Brian Westbrook is one of Heckert's many top picks 
"We're happy to keep someone of Tom's caliber in Philadelphia," said head coach Andy Reid. "Tom has done an excellent job and it was important for this organization to have him continue in this general manager role for the foreseeable future. He's a hard worker and an outstanding evaluator of talent."

Heckert will be entering his sixth season in Philadelphia working closely with Reid in all player personnel matters while managing the player personnel department, which includes both college and pro scouting.

Since his arrival in 2001, the Eagles have acquired 16 starters in 2005 (nine through the draft, six free agents, and one via waivers). His first draft with the Eagles produced three future Pro Bowlers in CB Lito Sheppard, SS Michael Lewis, and RB Brian Westbrook.

Heckert joined the Eagles as the club's director of player personnel on May 21, 2001, after a 10-year stint as a member of the Miami Dolphins player personnel department. Over his 15-year NFL career, his teams won their division seven times and the made the playoffs 11 times, including four postseason appearances in Philadelphia.

BIG MOVES UNDER TOM HECKERT
Date Transaction
April 20, 2002 The Eagles draft cornerbacks Lito Sheppard and Sheldon Brown, safety Michael Lewis and running back Brian Westbrook. Sheppard and Lewis were selected to the Pro Bowl and Westbrook and Brown are starters.
June 2, 2002 Eagles sign Artis Hicks as a rookie free agent.
March 4, 2003 Eagles trade for linebacker Mark Simoneau.
April 28, 2003 Eagles sign defensive tackle Sam Rayburn, cornerback Rod Hood and safety Quintin Mikell, all as rookie free agents.
March 3, 2004 Eagles trade 3rd string QB A.J. Feeley to the Miami Dolphins for their second round draft pick in 2005.
March 4, 2004 Eagles sign free agent defensive end Jevon Kearse.
March 8, 2004 Eagles sign free agent linebacker Dhani Jones.
March 16, 2004 Eagles trade for wide receiver Terrell Owens.
July 14, 2004 Eagles sign free agent linebacker Jeremiah Trotter.
November 4, 2004 Eagles give cornerback Sheldon Brown - one of Heckert's picks - an extension.
November 6, 2004 Eagles give Pro Bowl cornerback Lito Sheppard - another one of Heckert's picks - an extension.
April 23, 2005 Eagles draft defensive tackle Mike Patterson and wide receiver Reggie Brown with first two picks.
November 6, 2005 Small-school prospect turned Pro Bowler, Brian Westbrook, signs contract extension.

[Don Ho]

Can we delete the March 16 transaction

[stillupfront]

Sounds like Banner will still do the contract structuring but not the negotiating, thats great. Was Banner really ever involved with football decisions from a talent evaluation standpoint? I would doubt it. He is a numbers guy.

I guess he could be somewhat grating.

Reid still retains his titles I imagine.

Slo the real change seems to be that Heckert adds the duty on sitting down and negotiating with agents. That seems like a positive. However, what FA that we ever went after did we not get?

Banner's issue seems to be in player retention. Westbrook being the glaring example here.

In a totally unrelated issue; any chance Ike can get back here next year. He didn't seem to really pan out in Atlanta. I for one would love to see him back.

[Diomedes]

...who has been known to drop the F=Bomb towards agents....

I didn't know that.  How unprofessional.

[PhillyPhanInDC]

How long is Banner under contract for? I can't see him taking this demotion and obvious favoritism lightly. I'm glad Heckert was promoted but I wonder how much control Andy will really give up. I think it's just a title and things will stay the same.

I really thing this was a step in the right direction for several reasons:

• Heckert could have gone to another team that would have given him broad control on personnel decisions. Why would he stay here for title only?


• Reid trusts him quite a bit. So much so that I believe Reid will be willing to give all of the responsibility to him.


• Banner can go to hell. And Lurie and Reid would really have no problem with it. IMHO Banner screwed himself a bit, not so much to get canned, but enough to have some responsibility removed, and be happy that is all that happened. He'll structure contracts for the good of the team/cap, but have zero interface with the players. That's huge. Him spouting in the media about the TO deal, only added fuel to an inferno, and was unacceptable given his position.


• I think the biggest reason it makes sense, is it sends a message to the team, that the FO is not there to bully them into drinking their Kool-Aid, and will work with them to make things better.

It will be an exciting offseason, Childress will leave, and I think we'll get Mariucci. We'll have a solid draft, and do well in free agency. I don't think they will sign any big name free agents, but will get solid players, and put them in a good position, with a revamped system. The Eagles will be back in a big way next year. 

[General_Failure]

He's got a lifetime buddy contract. He's Lurie's boy.

[PhillyPhanInDC]

He's got a lifetime buddy contract. He's Lurie's boy.

He can hook you up with your taxes like a motherfarger.

[Westy]

Spads says Reid still has final say in personal

[fansince61]

Nothing changes...smoke and mirrors

[hbionic]

Change produces. Let's hope this takes some pressure off all of the main heads and lets everyone focus better on their jobs. I don't know much about how shtein runs, but I think Reid knows he can be a better coach. Hopefully, this is his chance.

[bobbyinlondon]

There are A LOT of FO's around the league that have separate numbers crunchers and GMs.

Seattle is one. After they fired Bob Whitsitt last year, they brought back Mike Reinfeldt, who HAD BEEN their cap guy,  before Whitsitt fired him, and he negotiated nearly all of Seattle's big FA deals last year. Bob Ferguson was brought in with the title of GM, but Holmgren still makes all of the final football personnel decisions.

Cleveland is another. They have a separate cap guy. In fact, that was what all the trouble recently in the Cleveland front office has been--the president of the club hired someone else to be their cap guy without telling Phil Savage, the GM.

The Jets are another team. Mike Tannenbaum is their cap guy and Terry Bradway is their GM.

Reid and Heckert will get their numbers from Banner and go after the FAs their interested in as well as re-signing their own players. The positive out of this is that Banner won't deal with agents--his sometimes-abrasive attitude, I'm sure turns a lot of agents off.

Guys and gals, I can't see this as anything but positive. The Eagles apparently have looked at themselves and not liked what they saw. The fact that supposedly they blocked this move by the Vikings might mean that they're willing to change their ways a bit, which I said in the middle of the year that's what they had to do--change their philosophy.

[LBIggle]

Spads says Reid still has final say in personal

its still reids team.  i dont think its so much reid being demoted as heckert being given more responsibility.  another season like this years though and dont be surprised at more drastic changes being made.

im glad.. hopefully this isn't just smoke and mirrors.

[PoopyfaceMcGee]

Basically, this is what it amounts to...

It makes Heckert more high-profile and probably gave him a nice chunk of change.  He already was making all but the final decisions, and there have been very few (none) times when Reid absolutely shoots him down.  The two of them working together is good for personnel, and Banner moving in the background is better for everyone.

[pinoyboy2pt0]

I'd just like to see:

A successful 2 minute offense

Hurry up snap after a questionable successful Eagles play

A change up in the snap count (some quick snaps)

I would want the line to be set up with 15 seconds left, but it seems they have been getting better at that

Nothing major, just some of the little things.

I wonder how this will affect the draft and free agency.  Now that I look back on it, we've been able to get some great grabs in the draft despite going deep into the playoffs in years past.  It also helped us retain Brad and Heckert IMO.  Maybe we can use the extra month of time evaluating tape of WR's and LB's if we do decide to pick one instead of throwing a dart (Reggie Brown aside).

I hope this is a real move instead like people mentioned before, it just being smoke and mirrors.

[bobbyinlondon]

I'd just like to see:

A successful 2 minute offense

Hurry up snap after a questionable successful Eagles play

A change up in the snap count (some quick snaps)

I would want the line to be set up with 15 seconds left, but it seems they have been getting better at that

Nothing major, just some of the little things.

I wonder how this will affect the draft and free agency.  Now that I look back on it, we've been able to get some great grabs in the draft despite going deep into the playoffs in years past.  It also helped us retain Brad and Heckert IMO.  Maybe we can use the extra month of time evaluating tape of WR's and LB's if we do decide to pick one instead of throwing a dart (Reggie Brown aside).

I hope this is a real move instead like people mentioned before, it just being smoke and mirrors.

Again, it's got to be more than that. Heckert just wouldn't walk away from an opportunity like the Vikes were set to give him if the move didn't have a bit more substance to it--the thing is, we may never find out.