5 reasons...

[ice grillin you]

the daily news today published 5 reasons to be optimistic/pessimistic about the future of the birds...discuss....


5 reasons to be pessimistic

1. The defense is in disarray

All those Eagles injuries had very little impact on the defense, which just wasn't very good, for reasons no one seemed quite able to pinpoint. Most disturbing was that respected coordinator Jim Johnson and everyone else around the organization thought this was going to be a great unit. It's hard to say whether a significant defensive-line addition and a better outside linebacker or two will totally turn things around, or whether offenses have evolved in ways that make Johnson's schemes less effective. When teams max protect, for example, it's hard for a blitzmaster to wreak havoc. And suddenly, consistently stopping the run seems more important than it might have been a few years back.

2 The Donovan McNabb factor

Donovan McNabb is coming off his worst season since he became a full-time starter. Not only has McNabb now suffered significant injuries in two of the last 4 years, his leadership has been questioned amid the ugly denouement of the Terrell Owens affair. Whether he deserves it or not, McNabb is now in a position where fans and perhaps even teammates will scrutinize every incompletion, every facial expression. Much more than physical healing has to take place here.

3 Struggles with finding players in the draft

Other than McNabb, the Eagles have little to show for the 1999, 2000 and 2001 drafts. And 2003 isn't looking great, either.

Corey Simon (first round, 2000) is gone. So are, among others, Freddie Mitchell (first round, 2001), Barry Gardner (second round, '99), John Welbourn (fourth round, '99), Bobbie Williams (second round, 2000), Quinton Caver (second round, 2001), and Derrick Burgess (third round, 2001).

In fact, from those 1999-2001 drafts, the Eagles currently have McNabb, injured wideout Todd Pinkston (second round, 2000) and injured running back Correll Buckhalter (fourth round, 2001).

In a league where success flows from good drafting, the picks from those years should be forming the team's foundation right now, its nexus of late-20s players in their primes. And all that remains from the 2003 draft are injured defensive end Jerome McDougle (first round), tight end L.J. Smith (second round) and wideout Billy McMullen (third round).

4 Defenses adjusting to Westbrook

Opposing defenses seemed to adjust better to Brian Westbrook this season.

Maybe it was partly the offensive line or Donovan McNabb's struggles, but Westbrook, when he was healthy, was less explosive than in the past. Other than McNabb, he is the biggest key to the Eagles' offense.

5 What about Jevon Kearse?

Jevon Kearse was healthy almost all year, to very little avail.

When the Birds gave Kearse $66 million over 8 years two offseasons back, they were pretty certain that if he could bounce back from injuries, they'd have a dominant defensive end for several years. The first year was just fine, not unbelievable, but solid. The second year was not. Most disturbing was that Jim Johnson talked about Kearse needing to add to his arsenal of moves, noting that teams have figured out how to handle Kearse's speed. Kearse turns 30 next season.

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5 reasons to be optimistic

1 The circus is leaving town

By the time the Eagles convene for training camp at Lehigh, Terrell Owens will be off their roster and the fans' radar (we can hope). It's hard to see where internal offseason controversy might come from, other than the usual, "Why didn't they sign/draft so-and-so?" After the past few years, this will be a welcome change; there is no franchise tag or big restricted free-agency decision to make from the current roster, no star whose presence at training camp is in doubt. The national media will not be shining its spotlight nearly so brightly.

2 The cap situation and free agency

The Eagles have cap room and a pretty good history of identifying areas where they need help. Last offseason notwithstanding, the Birds have made big changes, particularly on their defense, each of the past several years and have managed that change pretty well. For all their well-known reluctance to overpay their own players, they've never been stingy when pursuing free agents they really wanted. It will be a shock if they don't bring in key reinforcements.

3 The development of Reggie Brown

The rookie wideout can play. He isn't a top No. 1 NFL receiver yet, but he's fast and tough and he's going to get better. His development was the only positive to come from the T.O. debacle... unless you're of the opinion that the Eagles will never again listen to anything Marty Mornhinweg suggests. Then there are two things.

4 The Super Bowl hangover ends

Carolina proved this season that life goes on for a Super Bowl runner-up that missed the playoffs the year after the big game. In fact, the Oakland Raiders are the only recent Super Bowl losers (XXXVII) who fell apart and haven't come back at all. Of course, unless the Panthers or the Giants win next month's Super Bowl, there still won't have been a Super Bowl loser to come back and win it since the Bill Parcells Patriots lost Super Bowl XXXI, then the Bill Belichick Pats won XXXVI, if you want to count that. It isn't that hard to get back into the hunt, though.

5 The damage caused by the injury situation

It's really unlikely the Eagles will end next season with 13 players on IR and four more on the other two lists for guys who aren't able to play.

I saved this one for last because I don't want to promote the notion that you can simply write this debacle off to injuries, but obviously they played a role. If the Eagles brought in no one but kept their key people healthy next season, they'd have a decent shot at the playoffs. Not at the Super Bowl, but at the playoffs. That's not what they should do, of course, or what I think they will do.

[Wingspan]

yeah, having mcnabb as a QB is a reason to be pessimistic....what a load of shtein.

[General_Failure]

Oh no, fans are going to start questioning his every incompletion. He's going to crumble under the pressure.

[ice grillin you]

Oh no, fans are going to start questioning his every incompletion

i actually posted this exact thing a couple weeks ago...its absolutely going to happen...but that doesnt mean mcnabb has to let it effect him...but there is a worry that....

He's going to crumble under the pressure.

[JTrotter Fan]

Anyone that questions McNabb's ability is pathetic and isn't a true fan.  You tell me if you'd rather have Aaron Brooks or Chris Simms or even Jake Delhomo out there.  Puuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuleeze!

[Rome]

unless you're of the opinion that the Eagles will never again listen to anything Marty Mornhinweg suggests.

A snot bubbler if ever I read one...

[Magical_Retard]

since when havent the fans been overly critical of mcnabb and his every inaccurate throw, incomplete pass, or int?

even then most will admit that they believe in him and that next season will be better by default because he will be healthy.

[ice grillin you]

the most ridiculous of all of them is the defesnes adjusting to westbrook...he had nine td's and 1200 total yards in 3/4 of a season and they are adjusting to him??

[MadMarchHare]

Let's address the pessimism.

#1.  Totally valid.  We'll have to see how they deal with it.
#2.  Somewhat valid.  No one, not IGY or the author, is questioning McNabb's ability.  They're questioning his will.  Injuries aside, McNabb didn't smile a whole lot this season, and IMHO, he stinks when he ain't laughing.  KC game, as an example.  Going into the half, he's smiling - end result, win.  Denver, Dallas, not the case at the half - losses.  This is why I don't complain when they're on the sideline joking around.  It means they're loose, and that has done nothing but benefit the team.  He needs to put the misery of this year, and the other unbelievable bullshtein he's had to endure, behind him, and start having fun again.
#3.  Yeah, yeah, yeah, they haven't retained guys from the late 90s, early 2000s.  So what?  Some of them were busts, some moved on because they wanted far too much money.  Simon and Burgess were hardly busts, but they wanted more than they were apparently worth at the time.  On the flip side, they've gotten some amazing production from castaways and UDRFA.  And Sheppard/Brown/M Lewis/Westbrook/Patterson/Brown/Andrews/Moats all look pretty fine so far (notwithstanding the roasting the secondary took this season).  I'm not overly concerned here.
#4.  Adjusting to Westbrook, if it's true, would be bad.  Because all our other RBs are clones of Westbrook.  If this is true, others will have to step up and shake him free.
#5.  Kearse may need new moves because he's slowing down with age.  At least that's how I took Johnson's statements.  Speed kills, but it's a young man's game.

I'll wait and see if any of this pessimism is warranted.  We won't know until next November or so.

[Rome]

the most ridiculous of all of them is the defesnes adjusting to westbrook...he had nine td's and 1200 total yards in 3/4 of a season and they are adjusting to him??

I agree, IGY.

Westbrook is about as close to un-containable as you can get in the NFL.

[rjs246]

the most ridiculous of all of them is the defesnes adjusting to westbrook...he had nine td's and 1200 total yards in 3/4 of a season and they are adjusting to him??

I agree, IGY.

Westbrook is about as close to un-containable as you can get in the NFL.

Yeah, completely uncontainable. Unless he happen to be running between the tackles and then he eats large amounts of dung and is the very definition of 'containable.'

[ice grillin you]

Yeah, completely uncontainable. Unless he happen to be running between the tackles and then he eats large amounts of dung and is the very definition of 'containable.'

your point?...not that i even agree with you 100% but so they dont run him inside...they run him outside and use him as a receiver to the tune of double digit touchdowns 80 catches and 1600 yards total offense...thats hardly being adjusted too

[rjs246]

My point, Mr. Sensitive, is that Westbrook is a two trick pony. He's outstanding as a receiver and well above average outside the tackles, but he's far from uncontainable. In fact, he's an injury-plagued mess who can't do what even the most mediocre backs can do, pick up 2 yards when the team needs 1.

[ice grillin you]

i dont know what uncontainable means...all i know is he had a full seasons worth of stats in only 12 games this year...and he gets his every game

so i guess its fair to say that injuries are the only thing that can contain him...not the fact that defenses have adjusted to him

[Diomedes]

I know it's hard for you to grasp, but nevertheless it is also fair to say that Westbrook isn't much of a runner between the tackles.