The 2007 Offseason Thread

[PoopyfaceMcGee]

Juqua:  "I got yo look test right here, bitch."

[PoopyfaceMcGee]

Zack Tuiasossosospsosposopo and Dustin "wishes he was Jason Sehorn" Fox show that the Eagles aren't ignoring the stylishly dressed young man quota with Garcia gone:

[PoopyfaceMcGee]

Michael. Gasperson.

[MDS]

Stewart Bradley needs to do one of these. Now.

[Dillen]

I always thought Gasperson was a black dude. I guess he doesn't have a shot in the NFL now.

[Diomedes]

luckily for whitey, the rest of his life is handed to him on a silver platter, so he should be fine.

[Seabiscuit36]

I always thought Gasperson was a black dude. I guess he doesn't have a shot in the NFL now.

Same here Dillen, i noticed that over the weekend and was shocked. 

[ice grillin you]

luckily for whitey, the rest of his life is handed to him on a silver platter, so he should be fine.

ha

[Rome]

Shawn Andrews looks ripped.  Holy crap. 

[SD_Eagle5]

luckily for whitey, the rest of his life is handed to him on a silver platter, so he should be fine.

This made me laugh

[Seabiscuit36]

Shawn Andrews looks ripped.  Holy crap. 

Yeah he does, Andrew's physically is probably at his peak.  Im happy he got serious last year. 

[Feva]

http://www.phillyburbs.com/pb-dyn/news/256-05152007-1346769.html

Smith's future may not be with Eagles


When he learned the Eagles had drafted a player at his position, L.J. Smith did not get a telephone call from Andy Reid, and he was nowhere near an ice cream parlor, and he wasn't shocked. Donovan McNabb damn near dumped a pound of jimmies on his daughter's sundae when he found out the Eagles had drafted a quarterback, but Smith said he barely raised an eyebrow after Brent Celek, out of the University of Cincinnati, officially became his teammate.

"Around here," Smith said yesterday, "you're always playing for your position."

Always, whether it's warranted or not. It's hard to imagine Celek will wrestle the job away from Smith this season, but beyond that, who knows? About to enter the final year of his contract, Smith is 27, still in the prime of his career and still cost-effective for the Eagles for now. He'll earn $920,000 this year, and though his agent and the Eagles spent some of last season trying to agree on an extension for him, nothing's been done yet. And nothing might be.

"We've had discussions, and we'll continue to have discussions," Smith's agent Brian Mackler said. "L.J's planning on having a Pro Bowl-caliber season again. Hopefully, he'll be an Eagle for life. If not, there are 31 other teams who'll be happy to have him."

Mackler sure sounded like Sam McNabb there, and maybe he wanted to jar the Eagles into taking seriously Smith's desire for a new contract. Team president Joe Banner did not return a phone call to his office, but the negotiations between Mackler and the franchise are going nowhere these days, according to a source close to the situation. So this is beginning to feel familiar, like another case of the Eagles' refusing to "overpay" for a position they don't value all that highly.

As a point of comparison, Daniel Graham recently signed a five-year, $30 million deal — $15 million of which was guaranteed — with the Denver Broncos. A year-and-a-half older than Smith, Graham caught 120 passes in five seasons with New England, including 17 for touchdowns and 23 for 20 yards or more. Smith has 172 receptions over his four seasons with the Eagles — 14 for touchdowns and 29 of 20+ yards. You decide who's been more productive. And if Smith has not the league's best blocking tight end, no one can deny he improved in that area after McNabb went down last season and the Eagles began bringing better balance to their offense.


"I just hope the season goes the way that it's supposed to," said Smith, who added that he is "not asking for what I'd get on the free-agent market" from the Eagles. "Honestly, it's not in my nature or character to cry about anything. Just suck it up and move on. It's like crying about a girl who doesn't

want me. You ask her out, and she either says yes or no. I'm in that position. Either the Eagles want to keep me, or they don't, and that's just how it is."

So here comes one more collision of present and future for the Eagles, another small story worth watching in the 2007 season's broader narrative. Short of Seleck's making a huge splash as a rookie, which seems a stretch, do the Eagles really believe they have a better alternative at tight end than Smith? At certain positions, such as linebacker and wide receiver, they've shown they'd rather pay a little less for competency than pay a little more for excellence, yet Smith's been here too long not to notice what happens to those who try to test that philosophy. Corey Simon, Brian Westbrook, Bobby Taylor, Rod Hood, Terrell Owens — either they hold out or they speak out in their quests for new contracts, and only Westbrook, only the Eagles' most valuable offensive player, was successful in getting the Birds to blink first.

"I've learned that speaking out doesn't do anything around here," Smith said. "If anything, it darkens the situation. You may think you're bringing attention to yourself in a good way, but it doesn't help. So it's definitely not an option. I'll approach it like I would any other year."

As a professional.

"I hope for the best," he continued. "I mean, you've never heard a player say, "I can't wait to get out of Philly.' It's a great place to play, and they know that, and too bad every organization isn't like this. The grass isn't always greener. I'm definitely not trying to get out of town, but this is just reality."

No holdout, then. No public lobbying. He'll play, and he'll hope that something happens soon, and if nothing does, L.J. Smith won't be shocked. It'll just be reality. It'll just be the Eagles.

Mike Sielski is the sports columnist for Calkins Media. E-mail him at msielski@phillyBurbs.com.

[SD_Eagle5]

Keeping with the Eagles f/o conspiracy theory: around game 5 he'll start to lose significant playing time while Schoebel starts.

[Rome]

If not, there are 31 other teams who'll be happy to have him."

Comments like that hurt my farging head.

No, jackass... 31 other teams won't be happy to have him because half of them have tight ends who are better or at least as good as your client.

[phattymatty]

i didn't even know donovan had a daughter.