Takeo Spikes, Kelly Holcomb, Philadelphia Eagles

[SD_Eagle5]

Walker - 5 years $25 million

That's a lot of money and years to give to a 30 year old pass rushing DT who's only good half a season.

[ice grillin you]

looks to me like its a one year deal...hell make 5 this year plus whatever sb he got which cant be high and they will cut him next year

[Eaglez]

It takes 5 million to sign a DT of Walker's caliber now a days? The NFL is going to have NBA-type salaries in a couple of years.

[General_Failure]

What the hell else are teams going to do with a hundred million dollar cap? Give Manning and Brady even more money?

[Zanshin]

What the hell else are teams going to do with a hundred million dollar cap? Give Manning and Brady even more money?

Manning and Brady endorse this line of thinking.

[Seabiscuit36]

looks to me like its a one year deal...hell make 5 this year plus whatever sb he got which cant be high and they will cut him next year

IGY speaks the TROOF

POSTED 2:14 p.m. EDT; UPDATED 2:30 p.m. EDT, August 2, 2007

BEARS GOT A GREAT DEAL ON DARWIN

A league source tells us that the new contract signed by Bears defensive tackle Darwin Walker is, in essence, a one-year deal with a team option on four more.

Walker will make a base salary of $1.9 million in 2007, a $600,000 increase over what he was due to earn in his prior contract.

In March, a $5 million option bonus comes due.  The only way that the Bears can avoid it is to cut him before then.

Years two through four average roughly $3.5 million per year, with the option bonus included in that number.  The fifth year, per the source, is a sham -- which means that it likely carries an unrealistically high salary.

So, for the Bears, they get a one-year test drive with Walker.  If they like what they see, they pay the $5 million and pick up the balance of a pretty reasonable deal, especially in a market that has made guys we'd never heard of into multi-millionaires.  If the Bears don't like Walker, they walk away.

It also has been reported that the fifth-round deal that the Bears gave to Buffalo for Walker can upgrade to a fourth-rounder based on the number of snaps that Walker takes this year.

[PhillyPhreak54]

Walker looking for a fresh beginning with Bears
By Vaughn McClure
Chicago Tribune
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BOURBONNAIS, Ill. (MCT) -- Darwin Walker was minding his business driving down a Philadelphia-area interstate one afternoon when another driver sped up next to him, arms flailing. Walker figured the guy had something important to say, so he courteously slowed down.

Bad move.

"I'm thinking I had a flat tire," the Bears' new defensive tackle recalled. "So I rolled down my car window, and the guy yelled, 'You (stink).'

"That's Philly for you."

Save for the obnoxious die-hards, Walker has no regrets about his six-plus seasons with the Eagles, with whom he went to four NFC championship games and a Super Bowl. But there is a good reason the 30-year-old veteran is so giddy about his new Windy City digs.

"People just don't understand that I love Chicago because I've been here so much," Walker said. "Over the last two, three years, this has been my town."

Walker's wife, the former Danielle Smith, grew up in the city's Beverly neighborhood, went to Whitney Young High School and is a graduate of the University of Illinois engineering school, so the Walkers have been making annual visits from their southern New Jersey home. Danielle's father, Charles Smith, retired as a deputy chief of the Chicago Police Department after 33 years of service.

"My wife always told me he was a cop, but she never told me he was deputy chief," Walker said. "He's one of those guys who has that quiet confidence about him. You know you better not mess with him."

The same can be said of Walker. At 6 feet 3 inches and 294 pounds, and with a bit of a mean streak, he's an intimidating presence on the field. Go to his Web site, www.darwinwalker.com, and you'll find a list he calls "casualties," the QBs he has sacked over his career. Walker even references his young son, Darwin Jr., as "the next quarterback killah."

Bears special teams coach David Toub, who coached Walker as a defensive line assistant in Philadelphia, said there was only one minor issue the Eagles had with Walker.

"There were a couple of times where he would rough a quarterback," Toub recalled. "We'd have to get on him for that."

Toub was talking about in games. Walker admitted it happened in practice too.

"Donovan McNabb, A.J. Feeley, Koy Detmer -- I got all of them," Walker said of his former Eagles teammates. "But I didn't rough them up that bad. You just worked so hard to get to them, you hate that when you get there, you have to stop."

Walker seems like a gentle giant away from football. Part of the reason the Bears made the trade with Buffalo to obtain him was they envisioned a productive No. 99, minus the character issues. His off-season hangout is Pennoni Associates Inc., a Philadelphia-based engineering consulting firm, where he is vice president.

"It works out great for me," Walker said. "Hopefully, when I get done playing, I can move right into that same career."

Walker developed a business sense growing up in South Carolina, where both his parents were licensed contractors. He earned a degree in civil engineering from Tennessee, and he met Danielle in 2003 when she was working on an MBA from Penn's prestigious Wharton School. The two formed a partnership in the business Walker started in Knoxville called Progressive Engineering. It since has merged with Pennoni, a firm of 925 employees with 22 offices.

Danielle ran Progressive Engineering for a while before the merger. Now she's raising their baby, leaving the business decisions to her husband.

"When it comes to business, Darwin always has his hands into something," Danielle Walker said. " When it comes to finances, 401Ks, real estate ventures, he knows all the ins and outs. He's detailed oriented. "

Walker's contract negotiations would speak to that. The Eagles traded him to Buffalo after last season, but he never reported to the Bills. He wanted a long-term deal and Buffalo wasn't budging. But Walker got the long-term deal he was looking for from the Bears: five years and $25 million after originally agreeing to a one-year deal worth $2.3 million.

"With all the drama we've been through (with Buffalo), we would have taken just a one-year deal and came out and did what we had to do," Walker said. "Fortunately, the Bears saw it a little different. And we're excited about that."

Before the trade, Walker had been working out in the Chicago area. A couple of fans recognized him once but they didn't say much. Then again, he wasn't driving on an interstate in Philly.

"In Philly, the fans are a lot more fickle," Walker said. "Here they love the team more."

And they'll certainly love Walker -- as long as he produces.

Hey Darwin! You suck! fargin sharpei headed motherfarger.

[Eaglez]

Fickle? Sour grapes.

Way to rough up your teammates in practice after the whistle too, idiot.

[Rome]

"In Philly, the fans are a lot more fickle," Walker said. "Here they love the team more."

Funniest quote ever.   

[phillywin2k5]

TKO was just on Sirius as they are at camp from 1-3. Reid was the 1st interview seemed really relaxed and friendly.. TKO was up next and he was saying hes 100% and ready to help the D go to the SB. McNabb was in the background busting his balls. Then 5 went up to the mic and started mimicing the reporters. Bob Pappa says he has a future as a broadcaster, Mcnabb says he was more looking to get into Male Exotic dancing, maybe some modeling, maybe even a Hand Model. Clowning around big time till TKO told him it was time for him to go! Pretty funny stuff

[PoopyfaceMcGee]

Donovan can play class clown all he wants after he wins a Super Bowl.

But for now, I'm sick of his act.  Try practicing and conditioning so that you're on the field and effective when it counts, douche.

[Wingspan]

I am so sure that cracking a joke after practice is going to keep him from being properly conditioned.

[SunMo]

well, it doesn't help he throws up after each joke

[Wingspan]

So do i.

[phillywin2k5]

should be doing commercials for MOM (Milk of Magnesia) with his mother. Momma McNabb makes you nausious (sp) listening to her talk how her son is picked on. And her son pukes at the slightest bit of real adversity