Looking Ahead: Offseason Wishlist

[General_Failure]

If we're going to have a linebacker that doesn't know how to play he might as well be a big name.

[Feva]

Might as well forget about that whole salary cap thing, too.  Alexander, Vet WR and Arrington? 

[PhillyPhreak54]

make a bid for S.Alexander (Westbrook is versatile but not the best RB) Alexander and another receiver with experience.Alexander with Westbrook would create an awesome display on offense.

Lavar Arrington from the skins.

This ain't Madden, cuz

[Rome]

If we're going to have a linebacker that doesn't know how to play he might as well be a big name.

You mean other than Trotter?

[General_Failure]

Put stillupfront out there with Arrington and Trotter. Get him all cracked up like LT.

[DH]

Randle-El is primo on my WR wishlist. IMO, if we're gonna sign a WR, I think he needs to be able to return punts/kicks, and the fact that El can also get into some trick plays gives me the old proverbial football woodie.

[ice grillin you]

eckel is on wip advocating the eagles trade for bryant johnson...interesting idea...tho hes of course throwing it out there not having any clue to whether arizona would move him

[SunMo]

he luvs him sum wide receivers named Johnson

[Zanshin]

eh...Eckel will throw just about anything against the wall to see if it sticks.

[MURP]

in his article he also wants the Eagles to draft Michael Robinson to be the #3 QB and draft Tamba Hali in the first round. 

[Diomedes]

I read that article about the Colts and was really suprised that it seemed to assume that they were going to pay Simon 8 million. Not paying him wasn't even mentionned. With all the other things they have going on, why would they just give him that money?
Did he play that well for them?

No, and he didn't play much either.  If he was in on half the defensive snaps, I'd be surprised.  I was puzzled by that aspect of the article as well..apparently it's a foregone conclusion that 8 mil goes to Simon instead of the others.  That's some strange thinking, imho.

[ice grillin you]

in his article he also wants the Eagles to draft Michael Robinson to be the #3 QB and draft Tamba Hali in the first round

id take a chance on robinson in the 9th round....and id rather have chad greenway than hali

[BigEd76]

Hugh was on WIP too and said the Eagles don't need Hali (or any other DE) if McDougle returns, Cole continues his progress and they sign a decent DT like Rocky Bernard (who everyone likes).  Angelo wanted to know why Hugh was sticking up for McDougle, then he remembered that both have Rosenhaus as their agent...

[PoopyfaceMcGee]

id rather have chad greenway than hali

I wouldn't.  But it's a close call.


I do agree that, considering the situation, upgrades at DT and OLB should make the existing DE rotation better.  That said, they still need a 4th guy not named Juqua Thomas for the rotation, even if McDougle is healthy.

[Rome]

in his article he also wants the Eagles to draft Michael Robinson to be the #3 QB and draft Tamba Hali in the first round. 

I figured what the hell, so here it is in its entirety:

Offering a little help to Eagles
Sunday, January 29, 2006
MARK ECKEL
Andy Reid, his coaches and his scouts spent last week in Mobile, Ala., where he watched some of his future players work out in preparation for the Senior Bowl.

It was the first time since 2000 that Reid attended the workouts; every other year he was busy. Those NFC championship games kept getting in the way.

"I can't say I missed being there, because I would rather be doing what we were doing the past few years," Reid said. "But I have to admit, I do like watching the players."

If you remember, the Senior Bowl practices are where Reid became convinced that Donovan McNabb was his guy before the 1999 draft.

In any event, Reid's offseason is underway. He didn't ask for help, but we're going to give it to him anyway, in the form of what the 2006 Eagles would look like if he did ask.

Keep in mind, this is being done with my opinion, but also with the knowledge of what positions the Eagles stress and which ones they do not.

Time's mine:

OFFENSE Quarterbacks - Donovan McNabb, Jon Kitna, Michael Robinson.

McNabb back and healthy - and reportedly he is ahead of schedule in his rehab from the sports hernia surgery he underwent in December - makes the Eagles a wild-card contender at the least.

Kitna, who the Bengals are not believed to be very interested in retaining, is about as good as you are going to get in terms of a veteran backup. He earned $1 million last year in Cincinnati, which is only $60,000 more than the Eagles paid Mike McMahon.

Robinson, who took Penn State to an incredible season, intrigues the heck out of me, and under the Eagles' coaching staff, might really flourish. They could probably get him with one of their three fourth-round picks, or maybe even a fifth-rounder.

Running Backs - Brian Westbrook, Ryan Moats, Bruce Perry, Duce Staley, Josh Parry.

Westbrook got $9 million last year in bonuses, which guarantees him being the No. 1 man, and likely precludes the Eagles from drafting a running back with an early pick.

Moats showed enough as a rookie to be in the mix in 2006. So did Perry, especially as a kickoff returner if nothing else.

Staley is the name that jumped out at you, right? He's been inactive through most of the season and all through the playoffs for Pittsburgh, and probably won't dress in the Super Bowl, either. One thought is the Steelers will bring him back to replace Jerome Bettis next year. But is he worth $2.5 million in base salary and $4.37 million against the cap? It would cost the Steelers $800,000 to release him.

What might be the key is Staley's pride. Would he be able to come back in a reduced role, or as a starting fullback? There is no question his presence in the locker room would be welcomed.

Wide Receivers - Reggie Brown, Bryant Johnson, Todd Pinkston, Greg Lewis, Jonathan Orr.

Brown is being penciled in as the No. 1 receiver next year. That's fine, but he's going to need help.

If Pinkston is healthy, that's great. But Achilles injuries are tricky.

Johnson, out of Penn State, is Arizona's No. 3 receiver, behind stars Anquan Boldin and Larry Fitzgerald. Johnson is not a star, but he's good and could be very good as an Eagle. He has great size (6-foot-3, 214 pounds), and caught 40 passes last year behind Boldin and Fitzgerald, who caught 100 each. Plus, Johnson only makes $602,000 this year and $751,000 next year.

Arizona has plenty of needs and may be willing to trade its third receiver to fill some. The Eagles should at least call. A second-round pick might do it. I'd offer a third-round pick and a player. The Cards need help on both lines and in the secondary.

Lewis will be much more effective in a backup role. Orr is a big receiver (6-3, 209) from Wisconsin.

Tight Ends - L.J. Smith, Jason Pociask, Mike Bartrum.

Smith will be fine. Pociask (6-3, 256), also out of Wisconsin, is the best blocking tight end in the draft and could last until the middle or late rounds. Tim Day of Oregon is another possibility but the team might have to use a higher pick.

Bartrum will be back to long snap.

Offensive Line - Jon Runyan, Shawn Andrews, Jamaal Jackson, Adrien Clarke, Todd Herremans, Calvin Armstrong, Artis Hicks, Hank Fraley, Scott Young.

This all changes if the Eagles can't get a deal done with Runyan, but they should do all they can to get one done. Get rid of Tra Thomas and use his money for Runyan's new deal.

If Runyan goes, a much higher pick will be needed, like a first-rounder (Marcus McNeil of Auburn?).

The guards are set. The team likes Clarke a lot. Let Fraley and Jackson battle it out for center in training camp.

Defensive Ends -Jevon Kearse, Trent Cole, Tamba Hali, Jerome McDougle.

Hali, yet another Penn State product, could be the 14th pick in the draft. He's a good fit with Kearse and Cole as another of what Reid likes to call "throwing fastballs at the offense."

The Eagles are not ready to give up on McDougle just yet, so I won't either - as a fourth end.

Defensive Tackles - Mike Patterson, Rocky Bernard, Darwin Walker, Sam Rayburn, Hollis Thomas.

Bernard, a free agent from Seattle, would be the top priority in free agency. The 6-3, 293-pound inside pass rusher is just what the defense needs and would work well in a rotation with Patterson and the others.

Rayburn could be the trade bait needed to land Johnson from Arizona. If not, bring him back and hope he returns to 2004 form.

The Eagles might not want Thomas back, but he's still their best pure run stopper. If they let him go, they better draft a big man to replace him.

Linebackers - Jeremiah Trotter, Thomas Howard, Greg Richmond, Matt McCoy, Keith Adams, Mark Simoneau, Spencer Havner.

If Howard, out of UTEP, makes it to the Eagles in the second round, they should take him and break that second-round linebacker jinx. He even may be worth moving up in the round to get, since the team has at least two extra picks and likely will get more.

Richmond might be the sleeper here. Defensive coordinator Jim Johnson raved about him last spring, and then he hurt his back and landed on injured reserve. He could be the starter on the strong side.

Adams belongs back in his old roles, fourth linebacker and special teams ace. Simoneau also is a decent backup, but the team may decide to let him go and keep a younger backup like Jason Short. That would work, too.

Havner, out of UCLA, is a playmaker who may fall to the second day of the draft.

Defensive Backs - Sheldon Brown, Lito Sheppard, Rod Hood, Donald Strickland, Brian Dawkins, Mike Lewis, Sean Considine, Quintin Mikell, Matt Ware.

This group doesn't change much, and it shouldn't.

Kicker - David Akers.

Look for a healthy, bounce-back year.

Punter - Dirk Johnson.