The 2007 Offseason Thread

[PhillyPhanInDC]

ill say it again the whole lewis thing was a disgrace what they did to him...they deserve what they get with considine next year

I'm thinking Considine will be a situational guy next year. I think we'll have a rookie take his starting spot.

[bobbyinlondon]

he single handedly lost the tampa game...was brutal in the jacksonville and washington games and was downright horrific in the tenn game before he got hurt...to me that doesnt bode well going for 30 td's...

but again the bottom line here is that other than ONE year with TO he has never gotten 30 and he didnt do it again this year...but if makes you feel better about him to say he would have done it this year then be proud...would have could have should have are all words of losers...

i dont even know why we are debating a hypothetical so much...probably cause we like to argue

So STs breakdowns and defense at the end of the Buc game had nothing to do with them losing? Jason Avant losing a fumble on the first Eagles drive at the Buc 20 had nothing to do with them losing? The defense allowing 2 long drives (14 plays 8.05 and 11 plays 5.58) that resulted in FGs had nothing to do with losing those games?

[ice grillin you]

I'm thinking Considine will be a situational guy next year. I think we'll have a rookie take his starting spot.

either way they are getting rid of a guy because he wants too much money

even tho hes gonna go on the open market and get caked off nicely by any one of a number of teams

who realize that hes all of a sudden not a good football player simply because he got put in a couple bad situations where he had to cover a wide receiver one on one....tell me how many strong safeties in this league could stay with joe horn man up in the open field

this is another case of the eagles having a player who didnt accept their intital offer and probably wants a few more bucks than they are willing to give and once he did that much like rod hood he started to see the field less and less and now will be jettisoned and replaced by an inferior player

[Diomedes]

a few times?  a few?

Opposing teams were targeting Lewis because they know he's weak ass.  Worse, it wasn't that he beaten by Joe Horn so much as that he was consistently beaten by his own poor thinking.   The guy bites on draws and fakes to the underneath route far too much.

[Wingspan]

I'm thinking Considine will be a situational guy next year. I think we'll have a rookie take his starting spot.

either way they are getting rid of a guy because he wants too much money

even tho hes gonna go on the open market and get caked off nicely by any one of a number of teams

who realize that hes all of a sudden not a good football player simply because he got put in a couple bad situations where he had to cover a wide receiver one on one....tell me how many strong safeties in this league could stay with joe horn man up in the open field

this is another case of the eagles having a player who didnt accept their intital offer and probably wants a few more bucks than they are willing to give and once he did that much like rod hood he started to see the field less and less and now will be jettisoned and replaced by an inferior player

This was another case of Michael Lewis sucking. No vendetta against him. He just wasn't any good.

And in case you stopped paying attention. Rod Hood looked like shtein too on more than one occasion afer he came back from his injury.

[SD_Eagle5]

Lewis was awful in coverage last season too. I doubt this is a dollar and cents issue more than it is he can't cover worth a damn. A SS needs coverage skills, that doesn't mean he should blanket a WR like a CB does, that means he shouldn't fall for the slightest juke and get burned on a consistent basis.

[ice grillin you]

you think mike lewis is the only run defending strong safety in the league that teams 'go after'...a strong safety was hung out to dry by a defensive line that couldnt get near the qb and all of a sudden a former probowler who is now in his prime cant play??....i dont buy it...did he have an off year sure...but if you let go all good players after they have an off or in this case a couple bad games there would be more players in free agency than on teams

bottom line is he absolutely should not have been benched and probably should be resigned unless they have a pretty damn good plan b...because lewis is probably going to be the best safety in free agency...you think its coincidence that the teams run defense collapsed after he started getting benched...hes a good player and if the eagles dont like him as much as someone else they have that can do the job then let him go since he obviously wants too much money....but dont scapegoat him as the problem and then replace him with sean considine

[SunMo]

Lewis was so far away better for the defense than Considine was, it can't be debated. 

but they'll let him walk, and Considine will probably start next year, and he will continue to get dominated during running plays by pass catching tight ends

[Diomedes]

between Considine and Lewis I have to agree I'd rather have Lewis. 

also, characterizing his suckiness as being only "a couple" games is pretty charitable.  neither of his last two seasons were that good.

[ice grillin you]

This was another case of Michael Lewis sucking. No vendetta against him. He just wasn't any good.

please explain this then


lewis > patterson (patterson gets rewarded with a huge contract extension)
lewis > dhani (dhani gets to play four years with the eagles)
lewis > considine (considine gets the starting gig)
lewis > darren howard (howard continues to get lots of snaps)
lewis > darwin walker (see dhani)

[SD_Eagle5]

you think mike lewis is the only run defending strong safety in the league that teams 'go after'...a strong safety was hung out to dry by a defensive line that couldnt get near the qb and all of a sudden a former probowler who is now in his prime cant play??....i dont buy it...did he have an off year sure...but if you let go all good players after they have an off or in this case a couple bad games there would be more players in free agency than on teams

He didn't just have an 'off year'. His coverage skills have been horrible for some time now. And JJ wanted to retain him as an OLB, but Lewis wasn't having it. He wants to be a SS.

[ice grillin you]

he hasnt been horrible for a while...thats the company line...he had a few bad games this year...but that goes for every single player on the defense

anway the free agency is one thing...that can be debated since he may want outrageous money and he isnt worth that...but dont be surprised if he sings with another team and goes right back to his normal very good playing level

the fact is hes the best SS they have by far!! and he never should have been benched for that loser considine

perhaps if lewis plays in those games where they were losing by giving up 250 yards a game rushing then they dont have to play at new orleans in the playoffs....

its a travesty to the rest of the team and the fans to put an inferior player in for someone for reasons other than on the field play

[PoopyfaceMcGee]

lewis > patterson (patterson gets rewarded with a huge contract extension)
lewis > dhani (dhani gets to play four years with the eagles)
lewis > considine (considine gets the starting gig)
lewis > darren howard (howard continues to get lots of snaps)
lewis > darwin walker (see dhani)

Patterson, Howard, and Walker are linemen, a position Lewis is incapable of playing.  You can't compare them apples/apples there.  Let's just say Patterson is probably very agreeable at all times and does what's asked, even if unspectacularly.  Walker getting snaps over Bunkley still scares me about Bunkley's future, and Howard had to play a lot because Kearse was injured and McDougle sucks a lot more.

By many accounts, the Eagles wanted Lewis to play more at linebacker, because his coverage skills are somewhat lax and they needed help there.  He balked.  They played Considine because he's a bit better in coverage, but he turned out to be an absolute liability near the line of scrimmage.

Mike Lewis and Sean Taylor are basically the same player, or appeared so this year.  They are incomplete - will make the big play, but will give up just as many big plays.  They lack discipline, but they'll still have their IGY-like fans that fall in love with their athletic ability and don't understand they are mostly uncoachable.

Considine sucks also, though.

[SD_Eagle5]

We just see things differently, I guess. I have a Lewis jersey, been a big supporter of his for a long time now. Call it the company line but I know what I see and he's a liability vs. the pass. Considine can't tackle worth a damn but teams weren't scheming their offense to exploit him deep like they were with Lewis. To say he was our best SS by far is a bit of a stretch, he's stellar vs. the run but you can't argue he wasn't as good vs. the pass as Considine was. I'll reserve judgement on his 'worth' until I see what he gets on the open market.

[PoopyfaceMcGee]

If the debate is Lewis vs. Considine, why bother?

Neither of them are a complete player and neither should be starting next year.