The Eagles Offseason Thread(all aboard the Brian Finneran bandwagon)

[Rome]

Only a 6 for Hood?

That seems really low for Hood.  At least a five considering the 5Yr./$15M contract he signed and his performance last year.

Edited - just did some research and the 6th rounder does seem about right.  Money is more important, evidently, than performance in determining comp. picks.

Also - stole this from TSN message board:

As we all know, AdamJT13 is the guru of Compensatory Pick projection/analysis. Using his posts as a guide, I put together the following analysis of how Comp Picks may fall this year. I expect there will be plenty of errors, but I said, "What the heck, the worst that can happen is I make a fool of myself."

To get some sense of contract values, I went to the NFLPA and USA Today websites, as well as Ian Whetstone's Cap Page. The Comp Pick list below shoold be good if my contract values are right. It will be way off if they aren't.

The key to scanning for a Comp Pick offset, if I understand Adam's explanation correctly, is that the offset must be for a lost player in the same round or lower.

For instance, the Bills loss of Nate Clements would be offset by their signing of Derrick Dockery because both those players contract values would appear to qualify for a 3rd Round pick. The Cowboys signing of Leonard Davis would offset their loss of Al Johnson (the highest ranked Cowboy loss). The Bengals signing of Eric Steinbach would offset their loss of Dennis Northcutt (the highest ranked Browns loss). The Patriots signing of Adalius Thomas would offset their loss of Daniel Graham.

So here is the full list (including offsets).

Round - Player Name - Team - Average Annual Comp
O-1 - Nate Clements - Bills 10.000 -- Offset by Derrick Dockery taterskins Bills 7.000
3-1 - Leonard Davis - Cardinals 7.086
3-2 - Eric Steinbach - Bengals 7.071
3-3 - Adalius Thomas - Ravens 7.000
3-4 - Derrick Dockery - taterskins 7.000
3-5 - Patrick Kerney - Falcons 6.107
O-2 - Daniel Graham - Patriots 6.000 -- Offset by Adalius Thomas Ravens Patriots 7.000

In 2007 the NFL awarded 4 Third Round Comp Picks. Of the highest seven contracts, two would have an offset, and therefore it would appear that either four or five qualify for a 3rd Round Comp Pick. The cut off for 3rd Round picks is a bit arbitrary, and will either be after Dockery's $7 million contract, or after Graham's $6 million contract. The contract between Dockery's and Graham's is Kerney's contract at $6.107 million. Because Kerney is going to the Pro Bowl, I imagine the NFL will push his comp pick up into the higher Round, and since Graham is one of the offsets, I believe the 4th Round comps will begin with Dewayne White. So, bottom-line 5 Third Round Comp Picks are likely this year.

4-1 - Dewayne White - Buccaneers 5.800
4-2 - Ahman Green - Packers 5.750
4-3 - Donte' Stallworth - Eagles 5.517
4-4 - Deon Grant - Jaguars 5.304
4-5 - Drew Bennett - Titans 5.000
4-6 - Langston Walker - Raiders 5.000
O-3 - London Fletcher - Bills 5.000 -- Offset by Langston Walker Bills Raiders 5.000
4-7 - Michael Lewis - Eagles 5.000

In 2007 the NFL awarded 6 Fourth Round Comp Picks. Using AdamJT13's guidelines, based on Average annual compensation there appear to be eight players who would qualify for Fourth Round awards; however, there is one offset in that group of eight. So, bottom-line I see 7 Fourth Round Comp Picks as likely this year, but only if all the $5 million contracts actually are valued that way.

O-4 - Kevin Curtis - Rams 4.850 -- Offset by Drew Bennett Titans Rams 5.000
5-1 - Tony Pashos - Ravens 4.800
O-5 - Jeff Garcia - Eagles 4.750 -- Offset by Kevin Curtis Rams Eagles 4.850
5-2 - Mike Gandy - Bills 4.667
5-3 - Donnie Edwards - Chargers 4.500
O-6 - Al Johnson - Cowboys 4.375 -- Offset by Leonard Davis Cardinals Cowboys 7.086
5-4 - Kenyon Coleman - Cowboys 4.079

In 2007 the NFL awarded 5 Fifth Round Comp Picks. Based on Average annual compensation there appear to be seven players who would qualify for Fifth Round awards, but three of those comps are offset, including Jeff Garcia.

6-1 - Dominic Rhodes - Colts 3.750
O-7 - Napoleon Harris - Vikings 3.700 -- Offset by Visanthe Shiancoe NY Giants Vikings 3.600
6-2 - Visanthe Shiancoe - NY Giants 3.600
O-8 - Jeremy Newberry - 49ers 3.500 -- Offset by Nate Clements Bills 49ers 10.000
O-9 - Dennis Northcutt - Browns 3.410 -- Offset by Robaire Smith Titans Browns 3.000
O-10 - Sean Mahan - Buccaneers 3.400 -- Offset by Jeff Garcia Eagles Buccaneers 4.750
6-3 - Nick Harper - Colts 3.133
6-4 - Cato June - Colts 3.000
O-11 - Bobby Wade - Titans 3.000 -- Offset by Nick Harper Colts Titans 3.133
6-5 - Ovie Mughelli - Ravens 3.000
6-6 - Robaire Smith - Titans 3.000
6-7 - Roderick Hood - Eagles 3.000
6-8 - Terrence Holt - Lions 3.000
6-9 - Damion McIntosh - Dolphins 3.000

The Sixth Round was the toughest one to predict, because of the seven contracts all worth $3 million annually. In 2007 the NFL awarded 4 Sixth Round Comp Picks. Without the offsets, that number would be easy to match, but four of the seven contracts over $3 million are offset. So, bottom-line I think there will be 9 Sixth Round Comp Picks, but as many as six of those could slide down into the 7th Round.

O-12 - Tully Banta-Cain - Patriots 2.925 -- Offset by Donte' Stallworth Eagles Patriots 5.517
O-13 - Antwan Peek - Texans 2.900 -- Offset by Ahman Green Packers Texans 5.750
O-14 - Brian Russell - Browns 2.700 -- Offset by Robaire Smith Titans Browns 3.000
O-15 - Kyle Brady - Jaguars 2.600 -- Offset by Tony Pashos Ravens Jaguars 4.800
O-16 - Ken Hamlin - Seahawks 02.550 -- Offset by Patrick Kerney Falcons Seahawks 6.107
7-1 - Kelley Washington - Bengals 2.500
7-2 - Kevin Kaesviharn - Bengals 2.500
7-3 - Travis Fisher - Rams 2.250
O-17 - Cooper Carlisle - Broncos 2.200 -- Offset by Daniel Graham Patriots Broncos 6.000
O-18 - Ashley Lelie - Falcons 2.150 -- Offset by Ovie Mughelli Ravens Falcons 3.000
O-19 - David Bowens - Dolphins 2.033 -- Offset by Jay Feely NY Giants Dolphins 1.467
O-20 - Eric Johnson - 49ers 2.000 -- Offset by Michael Lewis Eagles 49ers 5.000
7-4 - Aubrayo Franklin - Ravens 1.956
7-5 - Shawn Barber - Eagles 1.833
7-6 - Alfonso Boone - Bears 1.800
O-21 - Jordan Black - Chiefs 1.750 -- Offset by Napoleon Harris Vikings Chiefs 3.700
7-7 - Sammy Morris - Dolphins 1.650
O-22 - T.J. Duckett - taterskins 1.500 -- Offset by London Fletcher Bills taterskins 5.000
7-8 - Jay Feely - NY Giants 1.467
7-9 - Chris Draft - Panthers 1.425

It is not clear to me how many total Comp Picks will be awarded. The uncertainty comes from how the NFL will deal with "lost picks." For this exercise I went with 34 picks total (which may prove to be too many).

My logic in choosing 34 is that the number of Comp picks has historically been set by the NFL at a level so that the total number of picks in each year's Draft comes to 255. If that is correct, the number of standard picks in a Draft is 224, but this year will only be 221 because the Patriots have lost their 1st Round pick and two other teams have forfeited picks by selecting players in the Supplemental Draft. Therefore the number of Comp picks this year should be 34. 9 Seventh Round comp picks will get us to 34. There appear to be 20 players who signed for $1.4 million per year or more.

It is almost certain that the NFL will look at the players lost with contract values below Chris Draft's to determine if the aggregate losses of some teams are worthy of a pick. I analyzed the 46 players whose comp puts them below Draft. I continued the offset process through those 46, and ended up with 20 players without offsets. Then I looked at those 20 at a team level, which yielded the following:

49ers = 2 for $ 1.25 million total
Bears = 3 for $2.98 million total
Bengals = 2 for $2.2 million total
Dolphins = 1 for $1.03 million total
Falcons = 1 for $1.37 million total
Giants = 1 for $1.24 million total
Panthers = 2 for $1.27 million total
taterskins = 1 for $1.35 million total
Seahawks = 2 for $1.2 million total

Given the $1.42 million amount of the 34th player in the current comp list, only the Bears and Bengals would appear to be in line for consideration for an aggregate loss comp pick.

The last two players in the comp pick list are Chris Draft and Jay Feely. Backing them out to accomodate the Bears and Bengals raises the Giants from one uncompensated pick to two with a $2.71 million total, and the Panthers from one uncompensated pick to two with a $2.70 million total. That would give each of those teams higher aggregate losses than the Bengals. So the Bears can be dealt with, but not the Bengals unless you go futher up the pick list.

Moving up one more to the Dolphins pick for Sammy Morris creates the same problem. Backing Morris out raises the Dolphins aggregate to $2.68 million.

Next up is Alphonso Boone of the Bears, which raises the Bears' aggregate losses to $4.78 million, but at least doesn't add another team. So if we stop there the final picks would be the Bears for their aggregate losses, the Dolphins for Morris, the Giants for Feely, the Panthers for Draft, and the Bengals for their aggregate losses.

If by some chance the NFL decides that the Bears deserve two of the final picks, the next player is Shawn Barber of the Eagles at $1.833 million. The question then becomes do you take out Barber and replace him by the Bengals aggregate? The Bengals already would appear to have three picks, so the bottom-line question ends up being, "Who gets a fourth pick, the Bengals or the Eagles?"

[PhillyGirl]

Reid Couldn't Talk Moss Away From Pats     
Written by Garry Cobb   
Monday, 03 March 2008

Andy Reid was on the telephone this afternoon for over an hour with Randy Moss but he wasn't able to talk him into turning down a 3 year $27 million deal with Patriots.  Moss decided to stay put where he is with the Patriots.  Reid and the Eagles weren't willing to better the offer from the Pats.

Moss got the offer from the Patriots this weekend, but didn't immediately sign the deal because he wanted to see if other teams were willing to better the offer.  The Eagles were one of the teams Moss was interested in playing for, so he and his agent got in touch with Andy Reid and wanted know if he was willing to better the deal.

Obviously, Andy and the Eagles were not willing to make a better offer,  so Randy Moss decided to stay put with the New England Patriots.

I thought I was going to have some great news for you after I got the call that Reid and Moss had had the long conversation.  Unfortunately I was another close but no cigar for the Birds and their fans. 

So the Eagles must continue their search for a true number one wide receiver.  If they had signed Moss they would have acquired the best deep receiver in all of the NFL.  Moss broke the NFL record last year for most TD receptions in a single season with 23.

The Birds can't say they didn't have a chance because Moss and his agent got Andy Reid and the Eagles on the phone and talked for what I understand to be, nearly two hours.   I'm going to try to find out exactly what was discussed other than the contract.

Moss and his group had contacted me this weekend trying to get in touch with Donovan McNabb.  They were interested in finding out whether the Eagles were interested in signing him, after the Patriots had been dragging their feet in the negotiations.

After the call from Moss, I called the McNabb's in Florida that Moss was trying to get in touch with Donovan.  During that time, Randy decided to give the Patriots the weekend to give him a better offer and they did just that.  Tom Brady got involved and the Patriots came in with a much better offer.  The second offer from the Patriots was more than anybody else was willing to pay, so that sealed the deal. 

[Rome]

Like there was any chance in hell of that happening.

[Sgt PSN]

If that's all true, I can't say that I blame them for passing.  Moss is a great reciever, no doubt.  But I've always had reservations about him in the WCO.  Add in the fact that he is 31 and you've got to wonder how much longer his speed will be a factor.  And when he doesn't have the speed, what kind of reciever does he turn into?  

It would have been nice if they could have gotten him, but I don't think it would have been the best possible way to spend the money if they would have had to outbid NE.  

I wonder if Peter King is going to write an article complaining about how Moss only cared about the money.  

[SunMo]

Howard says the Eagles offered more money

[hbionic]

So, where the farg is the progress/status on the Fitzgerald Fantasy?

[Butchers Bill]

So, where the farg is the progress/status on the Fitzgerald Fantasy?

Eagles thought they had a deal for him with Lito and a #1...then the Cruds wanted more and AR said no.  I think Cobb was saying this the other day.

[PoopyfaceMcGee]

If the offers were at all comparable, Moss would have been absolutely nuts to leave NE.

[reese125]

over in the philly.com thread, dudes were saying 3 yrs 30 million per Eskin

Reid knew what the Patriots were offereing, so he makes a phone call to Moss hours before they sealed the deal, coaxing him into leaving a dynasty and the best QB in football for farging 3 million more dollars.

Ummm...and the incentive is where Andy? Salesman of the Year

[Rome]

Yeah, money means so little to Mr. Straight Cash Homey.

[PoopyfaceMcGee]

Seriously?  People are faulting Reid on this?

Frankly, you should be glad he didn't offer more and also that he clearly sees the need to add a stud at the WR position.

[Father Demon]

Seriously?  People are faulting Reid on this?

Frankly, you should be glad he didn't offer more and also that he clearly sees the need to add a stud at the WR position.

Agree.  Who here really thought more than $10M a season for Moss was the right move?

[SD_Eagle5]

I applaud the effort.

But this also wreaks of desperation that Reid had to go after Moss so hard. I think the Fitz fantasy is over.

[hbionic]

I'm still holding out for Fitz. GET FITZ!

[MadMarchHare]

But Williams should still be an option (not as good as Fitz, IMO, but beggars can't be choosers).