The Free Agency Thread

[ice grillin you]

Despite popular incorrect opinions, the Eagles do value the WR position.

did you hear this from someone and take their word for it or do you really believe it?

in ten years of andy reid name the very good (not even great) wr's the eagles have had...then name the number one picks spent on wr's...then name the big time wr's they have acquired via free agency or trade...then name how many number one wr's they have had in ten years...thats a decade...thats not a small window...thats ten friggin years

all you have to do is look at the evidence....then listen to how many times andy has talked about speading the ball around then listen to spads and eskin...the two mouthpieces for the front office...talk about how wr's arent important

[Drunkmasterflex]

The odds Boldin comes here slim to none, I do not believe this team would be willing to part with two high picks to get him.  I could be wrong but history shows otherwise. 

[rjs246]

King Cole is eating retard sammiches.

[The BIGSTUD]

Despite popular incorrect opinions, the Eagles do value the WR position.

did you hear this from someone and take their word for it or do you really believe it?

in ten years of andy reid name the very good (not even great) wr's the eagles have had...then name the number one picks spent on wr's...then name the big time wr's they have acquired via free agency or trade...then name how many number one wr's they have had in ten years...thats a decade...thats not a small window...thats ten friggin years

all you have to do is look at the evidence....then listen to how many times andy has talked about speading the ball around then listen to spads and eskin...the two mouthpieces for the front office...talk about how wr's arent important

I see your point, but I think we have a difference of opinion on what "valued" means. You obviously think that if they valued it, they would go out and throw boat loads of cash at big name guys, and throw high draft picks at guys out there for trades. I don't agree. I think just because they value draft picks a lot doesn't mean they don't value WRs.

I would love for the Eagles to go above and beyond for a change and overpay, but just because they don't overpay doesn't mean the position isn't valued. All it means is they think they can find a more efficient way of filling the need.

If you think about it, what times have the Eagles passed on a WR that has come to make them look stupid? Not that many. I'm talking about from a value standpoint, not a talent evaluation.

[ice grillin you]

so in the last ten years where is your evidence that they value the position

[The BIGSTUD]

The first 5 years of Andy's tenure I think they undervalued it. I think in the last 5 years though they have come around to value it a lot more.

Reggie Brown taken with a high 2nd rounder
Jackson taken with a 2nd rounder
Signed Curtis the #1 FA receiver on the market
Traded for TO
Went hard after Moss, but Moss chose the Pats and probably used the Eagles as leverage
Went hard after Fitzgerald, but Arizona clearly wasn't going to trade him and you see why

I consider that being valued. They sure as hell have spent more resources over the last 5 years at WR than addressing offensive line which Reid clames is his most valued position. Also more than the other positions like RB, LB, which everyone says they don't value.

Now you can say that if they valued WR, they'd spend first rounders on picks rather than second rounders. But if you look at the draft classes, there weren't any real studs that they passed on. I think in their mind they took the best guys on their board.

[General_Failure]

Drafted a potential #2 receiver
Drafted a slot receiver after making sure they got their lineman
Signed a slot receiver
Had a star receiver forced upon them by an arbiter
Said they went after big name targets with no proof to back up that claim

[The BIGSTUD]

Ok, well you disagree with the talent level of these guys, and I do too. But the Eagles did spend quality resources getting these guys. That tells me the position is valued.

The Eagles could have taken Otah last year with their draft pick. Instead they traded it to make sure they had an extra pick to take Jackson with. That is one example of them passing on a regarded "stud" offensive tackle to take a WR.

It isn't like the Eagles have been picking in the top of the rounds. They pick at the bottom of the rounds where you can get receivers in the mid-second as good as late first.

[Magical_Retard]

I sorta get what your saying but that just makes it worse because it means they try but they fail and that they are terrible evaluators of talent at WR.

As for Jackson and making sure they had a extra 2nd round pick...that move in fact shows how little they value that position. Jackson is a first round talent. They did not select him there, risked him being picked by someone else, and then in the 2nd round passed on him again to rather select a backup DT, and then with their 2nd second round pick selected him. That is not valuing the position. That is being damn lucky that other teams who probably did not need WR as much passed on him or some teams selected other prospects over him.

I think all they value is their philosophy. If they really valued the WR position they would have gone above and beyond by now. They value the CB position. They went all secondary in the 2002 draft and then this past off-season signed Samuel. They think they can always get by with the WRs they have and if somehow can swindle another team into giving them their WR on their terms they will do it otherwise forget about.

Even the year they traded for Stallworth...what was what? In August? A few weeks before the season started? Up to that point they were perfectly happy to go into the season with Reggie Brown and Hank Baskett as the starters for a team which just went to the Superbowl 2 seasons before and was coming off the high production of TO.

[Rome]

I heard the Eagles might or might not be interested in either drafting a WR or getting one via FA.

Can anyone confirm this?

Thx.

[The BIGSTUD]

I sorta get what your saying but that just makes it worse because it means they try but they fail and that they are terrible evaluators of talent at WR.

As for Jackson and making sure they had a extra 2nd round pick...that move in fact shows how little they value that position. Jackson is a first round talent. They did not select him there, risked him being picked by someone else, and then in the 2nd round passed on him again to rather select a backup DT, and then with their 2nd second round pick selected him. That is not valuing the position. That is being damn lucky that other teams who probably did not need WR as much passed on him or some teams selected other prospects over him.

I think all they value is their philosophy. If they really valued the WR position they would have gone above and beyond by now. They value the CB position. They went all secondary in the 2002 draft and then this past off-season signed Samuel. They think they can always get by with the WRs they have and if somehow can swindle another team into giving them their WR on their terms they will do it otherwise forget about.

Even the year they traded for Stallworth...what was what? In August? A few weeks before the season started? Up to that point they were perfectly happy to go into the season with Reggie Brown and Hank Baskett as the starters for a team which just went to the Superbowl 2 seasons before and was coming off the high production of TO.

I think with Jackson they knew that he'd probably be there  by the time they picked in the 2nd round, so they rolled the dice and it worked out.

But I agree with the talent evaluation. I think they generally thought Reggie Brown was way better than he was, and Baskett was way better than he was. Then last season when they went after Moss and Fitzgerald, it was obvious they finally saw the light. I think they are generally poor talent evaluators and that has hurt them more than anything else.

[ice grillin you]

The first 5 years of Andy's tenure I think they undervalued it. I think in the last 5 years though they have come around to value it a lot more.

Reggie Brown taken with a high 2nd rounder
Jackson taken with a 2nd rounder
Signed Curtis the #1 FA receiver on the market
Traded for TO
Went hard after Moss, but Moss chose the Pats and probably used the Eagles as leverage
Went hard after Fitzgerald, but Arizona clearly wasn't going to trade him and you see why

I consider that being valued. They sure as hell have spent more resources over the last 5 years at WR than addressing offensive line which Reid clames is his most valued position. Also more than the other positions like RB, LB, which everyone says they don't value.

Now you can say that if they valued WR, they'd spend first rounders on picks rather than second rounders. But if you look at the draft classes, there weren't any real studs that they passed on. I think in their mind they took the best guys on their board.

so youre cherry picking the years you want to include and eliminating half of andys tenure and you STILL cant come up with any real proof that they put a high value on the position

curtis is at best a #2 wr and more like a #3 slot guy...the fact that he was competing with drew bennent to be the best wr in his FA class is laughable and doesnt show the eagles taking the position seriously

second round picks dont show proof either...otherwise every team in the league values all positions extremely high

i give them TO that was a power move at the position...but in ten years he is the ONLY evidence that they put a high value on the wr position and there basically had to be a mutiny by the media and fanbase to force andy into doing that

[Magical_Retard]

It does not matter where they thought Jackson would be available. Its the fact that they skipped on him in the first, were lucky that he was still there in the 2nd but still skipped him to draft a backup DT, and then finally picked him with the 2nd 2nd round pick. That move alone shows no regard for the WR position. They would rather pile up high motor guys who will serve as nothing but rotation.

[reese125]

the Eagles did not intentionally drafted him for the WR position anyway--to strengthen your point even more. They were aiming for punt returner the whole way, as was every other squad that thought his 5'9 frame could hold up and passed on him.

The Birds hit a HR and were lucky

[The BIGSTUD]

so youre cherry picking the years you want to include and eliminating half of andys tenure and you STILL cant come up with any real proof that they put a high value on the position

curtis is at best a #2 wr and more like a #3 slot guy...the fact that he was competing with drew bennent to be the best wr in his FA class is laughable and doesnt show the eagles taking the position seriously

second round picks dont show proof either...otherwise every team in the league values all positions extremely high

i give them TO that was a power move at the position...but in ten years he is the ONLY evidence that they put a high value on the wr position and there basically had to be a mutiny by the media and fanbase to force andy into doing that

I'm picking the 5 most recent years, which is relevant. You are making it seem like I'm picking 5 random years across the entire tenure.

I agree Curtis is a #2 at best, but the fact is to the Eagles he was a very good WR. The Eagles talent evaluation of Curtis was the problem. If they didn't value the position like you said, then they would have just made the Bethel Johnson signing and stuck with that.

But, if you do truly think that these moves show they don't value the position, then what could they have done that would show otherwise with the options that were available?