The 2007 Offseason Thread

[rjs246]

I hate Westbrook. that is incredibly accurate.

[paco]

I didnt see this anywhere else:

http://www.philadelphiaeagles.com/homeNewsDetail.jsp?id=64025

Eagles Sign 15; Allocate Five To NFL Europe 

January 25, 2007
By BOB KENT & CHRIS McPHERSON

Philadelphia went international Thursday in signing Australian Football League veteran Saverio Rocca, who will add some flavor the competition at punter this offseason. This will be his first time playing with an NFL team. Earlier in the day, the team added to its offseason roster by signing cornerback Dustin Fox.
The 6-foot-5, 243-pound Rocca played in 257 career games and scored 748 goals in his 15-year career with the Collingwood Magpies and the North Melbourne Kangaroos.

The 33-year-old Rocca was Collingwood's leading goalkicker from 1993-1999. He was drafted by North Melbourne in 2000 and played with the Kangaroos through the 2006 season, leading the team in goals from 2001-02 and in 2004.

The Australian rules football player now hopes to follow in the footsteps of Australian-born players like Mat McBriar, Ben Graham, both of whom have enjoyed success punting in the NFL.

McBriar boasts a 36.8-yard net average for his three seasons in Dallas, while Graham has a 37.9-yard net average in two seasons with the Jets. Darren Bennett is another notable Australian-born player who had a nice career in the NFL.

Eagles punter Dirk Johnson, who inked a new six-year deal prior to the start of the regular season, finished the regular season with a 34.9-yard net. He dropped 21 of his 78 punts inside the 20-yard line.

Meanwhile, Fox joins former Villanova wide receiver J.J. Outlaw and 12 other new additions who were added on Tuesday. Outlaw was among five players allocated to play in NFL Europe this spring.


Andrews Out For Pro Bowl
The neck injury sustained by right guard Shawn Andrews in the playoff loss at New Orleans will keep him from participating in the Pro Bowl in Hawaii next month. An All-Pro, Andrews was slated to start for the NFC squad in his first trip to the Pro Bowl.

Andrews missed the entire second half against the Saints and was taken to a local hospital as a precaution.

"He's not sure exactly when it happened, but he had a tremendous amount of swelling there at halftime. He actually was having a tough time seeing," head coach Andy Reid said back on Jan. 14, a day after the Eagles were eliminated from the postseason.

Reid termed the injury as a "contusion in his neck." He said it was not a disc-related injury.

Chicago's Ruben Brown was added to the NFC roster Thursday to replace the Eagles' lineman.


Coach Reed Moves On
Eagles defensive assistant/quality control coach Mike Reed was hired as the defensive secondary coach for North Carolina State.

During his tenure in Philadelphia, Reed assisted the defensive coordinator in creating and editing the defensive playbook and weekly game plans, scouted opponents, and worked with the linebackers and special teams coaches. In 2002, he worked with the defensive secondary.

[PhillyPhanInDC]

I didnt see this anywhere else:

I think it is in the "Things not worthy of a thread" thread in the general section. If it isn't, it should be.

Dustin Fox rocks though.

[paco]

I didnt see this anywhere else:

I think it is in the "Things not worthy of a thread" thread in the general section. If it isn't, it should be.

Dustin Fox rocks though.

I was torn between here, with the NFL Europe part, and the "Eagles new punter?" thread with the news of us signing Saverio Rocca

[PoopyfaceMcGee]

Coach Reed Moves On

So close!

[paco]

Coach Reed Moves On

So close!

Somewhere in Jersey, Mr. Eckel breifly jumped out of his chair.

[hunt]

for example im not someone like hunt

and you never will be....now keep my name out your mouth, white boy.

[ice grillin you]

sorry if i dont take gospel the nba ramblings of a acid wash jean wearing cancer patient looking old man yankee fan from the hills of union county

[Quasimoto]

Sal Pal told MacNow that friends of McNabb are saying he said this:

"Either him (Garcia) or I will be playing for Tampa Bay next year."

Hmm? 

[ice grillin you]

so will ronde barber be moved to WR?

[Quasimoto]

so will ronde barber be moved to WR?

Burn

[hunt]

sorry if i dont take gospel the nba ramblings of a acid wash jean wearing cancer patient looking old man yankee fan from the hills of union county

what color is he?  is he white like you?

[SD_Eagle5]

so will ronde barber be moved to WR?

I'm breaking my self imposed emoticon ban: 

As for this latest story, I love how there are again 'unnamed sources'. What friends of McNabb would be talking to a loud mouth like Sal Pal. I'm calling Eckel type bullshtein.

[hunt]

who cares about any of this?  we all know mcnabb is oversensitive & we all know he'll be qb of the eagles next season.  every single writer, journalist, "insider", & whatever spadaro is can go farg themselves.

[BigEd76]

An email response from Eckel to one of the EMB people attacking him:

First of all get your facts straight, since you know nothing about me.
I'll give you some help.
Eagles Digest called me back in 1989 and offered me the job, actually begged me to take it. I thought about it for a day, or two and politely said no thanks.
They called Ed Hilt, of the AC Press, who also turned it down.
Then Dave, who was working at West Chester at the time, accepted it.
So that's the facts there.
I have no bitter feelings toward the Eagles. I covered them for 21 years. If I was as bitter as you suggest I would have asked to cover baseball or basketball or anything else long ago.
I'm also very good friends with several people who work for the team. And I host shows two or three times a week during the season with players on the team. So again your basis is off base.
Am I fan of the team? No, writers are not supposed to be fans of what they cover. Fact No. 2
Next, An Eagles rep called me this morning before I went on the air to let me know Andy did not mean me, but the Pro Football Talk website. Again, he called me to tell me that.
As for the caller, he said he heard it on another radio station. I tracked that down (that's called working) and found out where and what was said. But that was far from the nature of my column.
You can call me any name you would like.
But let's see I not only work for the paper, but for The Sporting News, WIP and assorted other media outlets. Not bad. Are there better, sure, but not a lot.
I stand by what I wrote and it's been confirmed by people like Hugh Douglas, who has a lot more access to things than most of us, because of his playing days. Even Howard Eskin, who also has excellent sources, confirmed my story. Something he normally would not do.
Finally, as far as Donovan. I want him here. He's a great player. If anything, and if you actually read the column, I took his side. I don't want to trade him. I just said what was being talked about. Why do you think people who know him well, would tell me things, because they trust me.
So you can believe what you want and think what you want, at least now you have the facts.