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Done Deal: Eagles, Westbrook Agree To Terms

Fri, 08 Aug 2008 17:17:45 -0500

August 8, 2008 By: JOE DOLAN PITTSBURGH -- The Eagles announced on Friday that running back Brian Westbrook has agreed to terms on a new contract. Terms of the deal were not disclosed. "As I've said many times, I believe Brian Westbrook is the best running back in football," head coach Andy Reid said. "He can do it all from that position, whether it's running, catching the football or blocking. He is true professional and leader on and off the field and it's a great deal for both Brian and the Eagles organization. I'd like to give credit to Joe Banner, Todd France and Brian for working so diligently in getting this deal done. We look forward to Brian having a great 2008 season and beyond." Westbrook signed a five-year extension in November 2005, but had recently become unhappy with the terms of that deal, which, he said, didn't pay him as a top NFL running back. Westbrook's 2,104 yards from scrimmage during the 2007 season led all players. Eagles chairman/CEO Jeffrey Lurie insinuated that the team admits Westbrook "outperformed" the original extension in his "State of the Team" address on Monday. One of the game's most electrifying offensive weapons and a two-time Pro Bowl selection, Westbrook has produced the second-highest yards from scrimmage total (6,768) since becoming a full-time starter in 2004. Only the Chargers LaDainian Tomlinson accumulated more in that span. Currently, he is the only active NFL player with 20-or-more touchdowns both rushing and receiving (27 rush, 23 receiving) in his career. Additionally, Westbrook leads all NFL running backs in receptions (338), receiving yards (3,121) and receiving touchdowns (23) since 2003. The 28-year-old Westbrook posted a record-breaking campaign in 2007, as he led the NFL with a franchise-record 2,104 total yards from scrimmage, and became the first Eagle to rush for over 1,000 yards in back-to-back seasons since Duce Staley (1998-99). He also led all NFL running backs with a team-record 90 receptions. For his efforts, Westbrook garnered multiple All-Pro honors, including a first-team selection from the Associated Press. The Eagles workhorse was also named to his second Pro Bowl, and was voted as the team's offensive MVP for the second consecutive year. Among Eagles running backs, Westbrook is the franchise career leader in yards per carry (4.7), and ranks second in yards per touch (5.9), yards from scrimmage (7,992) and receiving touchdowns (23). He also ranks fourth on the club's all-time list in career rushing yards (4,788) and sixth in rushing touchdowns (27). With 17 career 100-yard rushing games (including the postseason), he trails only Wilbert Montgomery (26) and Steve Van Buren (19) for the most in team history. A third-round draft choice in 2002 from nearby Villanova University, Westbrook was one of the most decorated players in school history, winning the Walter Payton award following his senior season, whic h is given annually to the top Division I-AA player. A native of Fort Washington, Maryland, Westbrook attended DeMatha High School, where he played point guard on a nationally ranked basketball team under legendary coach Morgan Wootten. http://www.philadelphiaeagles.com/news/Story.asp?story_id=15817

Things I Think I Think About The Eagles

Sun, 11 May 2008 08:29:00 -0500

On The Inside May 10, 2008 You've come to grips, no doubt, with the realization that the long-rumored and reported and fevered hope that the Eagles would land an established, star, "No. 1" wide receiver is just not going to happen. The Eagles have what they have and are what they are offensively, and barring an unexpected move or two between now and the season, the offense has to shine with what is here. After watching the team in the mini-camp last week, and after talking with coaches and scouts and players, I've come to the conclusion, most definitely, that the Eagles have enough weapons to have a Super Bowl-winning offense. Why? Well, why the Eagles don't have the classic star at wide receiver, they have a star catching passes (Brian Westbrook), and they have enough supporting players to be dynamic in every phase of the game. Let me begin by saying I am counting on Westbrook to have the kind of season he has had since he started gaining regular touches in the 2003 season. Westbrook's average of 5.9 yards per touch since that season leads the league, and his 6,768 yards from scrimmage since 2004 is second-highest in the NFL. I expect more of the same from Westbrook, even if his touches decrease slightly from last year's total of 368. Westbrook's body is strong, fresh and explosive. His knowledge of the game eclipses most at his position. He sees things before they happen. And in this offense, Westbrook is put in position to get his hands on the ball in the right places on the field to make plays. That isn't going to change. If anything, Westbrook should be more effective than last year, because the Eagles have more pieces around him. There are plenty of keys to this offense, obviously, and one of them is the flexibility to spread the ball around and strike from different formations and with different personnel. Having L.J. Smith on the field is huge for this offense. He and Brent Celek have the capacity to give the Eagles an excellent 1-2 punch at tight end. Kevin Curtis is the kind of speedy, shifty receiver who can be even better this year, even if his numbers aren't quite as high. Will Curtis catch 77 passes again? Maybe. I think it's actually better for this offense is that number dips slightly and more balls go to Smith, and to Reggie Brown, and to newcomers Lorenzo Booker and DeSean Jackson. If anything, last year's offense bogged down when Curtis wasn't involved and on the few occasions when Westbrook wasn't able to carry the offense on his back. The receivers, from this perspective, are significantly improved over last year. Jackson has a chance to upgrade the speed and explosiveness running from either the slot or from the outside in the offense. Booker, a running back whom I consider a receiver as well, is going to have an opportunity to earn four, five, six or seven touches a game. Smith, injured all of last year, is going to be a big part of things. Brown? No doubt that he has to be more consistent and more productive this season. Yeah, Donovan McNabb has the keys to the ignition and is going to be the guy on whom the offense will rely to make the right calls, the right reads and the right decisions. The offensive line has to reach deep and come up with another start-to-finish strong season. What did I see in the mini-camp to make me feel so positive? You only take so much, but I saw a tremendous amount of speed. I saw an offense capable of spreading things out and creating favorable looks. I saw McNabb back to being McNabb. I saw good depth and competition. There are a lot of parts here, a lot of pieces that have to fit right. In the end, I'm looking forward to seeing, the Eagles can make big things happen on offense, even without the superstar wide receiver. NEWS, NOTES AND THIS AND THAT One thing to watch for this defense in 2008: A transition in leadership to the young core. I'm expecting players like Stewart Bradley, Omar Gaither, Trent Cole and Brodrick Bunkley to really take a step forward this year as leaders. Just my feeling. I like the way those guys carry themselves. I'm watching everything there is to watch about the Rams, who open at Lincoln Financial Field in September, and I keep seeing the impressive names the Rams can roll out on offense -- Torry Holt, Steven Jackson, Marc Bulger. What happened to that team last year? Losing left tackle Orlando Pace was critical, obviously. It was just a disaster of a season. The Rams should be a much, much better team this year. Something to remember about the post-draft camp, maybe the best thing of all: No injuries. Huge. It's going to be interesting to see rookie Quintin Demps in training camp. I don't know much about him other than he is a terrific athlete, a smart kid, a ball hawk, but the reported rap on him is his ability to be physical and to tackle well. The idea of the "big hitter" safety is so yesterday. If you can't run and cover in the NFL, you can't thrive. Demps can run, for sure. We will see if he can cover very quickly. Kris Wilson passed the eyeball test in mini-camp. He is athletic, he catches the ball well, and he was adaptable in the offense. Let's see how he looks in the preseason. Speaking of safeties, Brian Dawkins at this point now versus Brian Dawkins at this point last year is really no contest. Dawkins wasn't here for most of last year's offseason. He is in great shape now. I hope it carries over to the season and that it means something good. I really liked the story Don Banks wrote for SI.com about the absence of NFL Europa and the affect its elimination will have on NFL rosters in the summer. Teams used to be able to carry four or five NFL Europa players in training camp and through the preseason and have them count as roster exemptions. That allowed teams to play the NFL Europa prospects in preseason games and spare some of their veterans from risking injuries in those games. That isn't the case now. The Eagles will have 80 players in training camp, just like every other team. You have to cross your fingers in every preseason game and hope the players stay healthy.

Confident And Healthy, Moats Set To Compete

Mon, 14 Apr 2008 06:47:21 -0500

April 13, 2008 By: CHRIS McPHERSON Running back Ryan Moats remembers the sequence of events quite vividly. He had a run up the middle for five yards and thought to himself, "Okay, this is a good start." Moats was called upon to help in pass protection and did just fine. Run routes. The same result. But on his second carry of the game, the Eagles' preseason opener in Baltimore last August, everything changed for Moats. In the gamebook, it simply says "R. Moats right tackle to PHI 20 for -3 yards (P. Burgess)." In reality, Moats fractured his ankle fibula when he was dragged down by Ravens rookie linebacker Prescott Burgess. He was placed on Injured Reserve and his season was over. After what he called his best training camp, Moats was forced to start from scratch. "It's hard, man, you know. It's heartbreaking to do something like that when you're doing so well," said Moats after a recent workout at the NovaCare Complex. "I felt comfortable in the offense. I knew everything and on the field at the time I was doing really well." The Eagles' third-round pick in 2005 got some playing time late in his rookie year and finished with 278 yards and three touchdowns. Two of those touchdowns came on electrifying runs of 40 yards or more. In 2006, it appeared as if Moats would be the perfect complement to Brian Westbrook. Moats could spell Westbrook, but the Eagles would still have a big-play threat that could score on any given play. It didn't happen. Moats never reached the end zone. In fact, he barely got the ball. In only eight games, Moats had 24 touches - 22 carries and a pair of kickoff returns. He doesn't know why he fell out of favor, but he admits that the pressure to change everything about his game from the way he carried the ball to his running style had an adverse effect on his play. Now, Moats is comfortable mixing what he's learned in the pros with the improvisational style that earned him WAC player of the year honors when he rushed for 1,774 yards and 18 touchdowns in his final year at Louisiana Tech. "I think my style from college was very loose and it was all about instinct, just feeling it," said Moats. "When I got here I stopped feeling it because so much stuff was coming at me at one time, and I didn't know what to do. I was a young guy, but now I trust myself as a runner. If I make a mistake, I make a mistake. When you get here you feel like nobody makes mistakes. Everybody makes mistakes. Even all the starters make mistakes. Once I realized that you can make a mistake and you'll be alright you can just keep going." The Eagles piled on the pressure by using their third-round pick in 2007 on Penn State bulldozer Tony Hunt. However, Hunt didn't get on the field much as Correll Buckhalter was a more-than-capable backup to Westbrook. The NFL Draft is less than two weeks away. The Eagles have a deep and talented corps of running backs, but Buckhalter and Moats are entering their contract year. Hunt has to make strides in his second season. Confident and in fantastic shape, tipping the scales at 210 pounds, Moats has realized that he can't control what decisions are made or how others perform. He can only go out there and compete. And he's ready to do just that. "I don't know what's going to happen," said Moats. "All I can do is control what I put out. I'm just going to play football. I'm not worrying about who, or if I'm here or wherever. I'm just going to play and let my play do the talking. They drafted Tony Hunt (last year). What can I do about that? I went to training camp and I came to play. It's competition, and you can't be afraid of competition."

Eagles - Klecko will try to make Eagles as fullback

Mon, 17 Mar 2008 05:56:13 -0500

Posted on Mon, Mar. 17, 2008 Philadelphia Daily News Former Temple star Dan Klecko, who has been a defensive lineman, linebacker and fullback over five NFL seasons, will try to make the 2008 Eagles as a fullback. The Birds are expected to announce today that they have signed Klecko, 27, to a 1-year deal. He will compete with Jason Davis, who spent the 2007 season on the Eagles practice squad, for the position that formerly belonged to Thomas Tapeh. The Eagles didn't try to retain Tapeh, who signed with the Vikings as a free agent. Klecko, a fourth-round Patriots draft choice in 2003, has played on three Super Bowl-winning teams, the first two with New England, then Super Bowl XLI, with Indianapolis, the team he joined after the Patriots waived him in September 2006. Klecko has been out of the NFL since the Colts waived him last Nov. 17. At 5-11, 275, he is small for a defensive tackle, big for a linebacker or fullback. Klecko has never been a full-time fullback, though he caught a touchdown pass in the AFC title game that got the Colts to the Super Bowl. Klecko has played a lot on special teams, something the Eagles want in the player they settle on as Tapeh's replacement. Klecko's father, Joe Klecko, also starred at Temple and was a Pro Bowl defensive end for the Jets, before ending his career with the Colts. * - Les Bowen

Fan-Demonium: Reg-gie! Reg-gie!

Thu, 13 Mar 2008 15:07:29 -0500

March 12, 2008 By: TOMMY LAWLOR Fan-Demonium Archive ScoutsNotebook.com The focus of Eagles fans right now is on acquiring a new wide receiver. Actually, focus might be putting it too mildly. Obsession is a better word. Why the obsession for a new receiver? It is a complicated issue that goes back to playoff losses in 2002 and 2003. Many fans feel that the team couldn't get over the hump in those seasons because of mediocre play from the wide receiver position. Maybe. Nothing is certain, but the wide receivers in those years certainly were not stars. Along came Terrell Owens in 2004 and the team finally went back to the Super Bowl for the first time in 24 seasons. Eagles fans saw Owens' presence as the main reason the team was able to win in the playoffs. Owens had a great year to be sure, but he didn't play in the playoffs prior to the Super Bowl. He had a broken leg and severerly sprained ankle and sat on the sidelines. It was Todd Pinkston, Greg Lewis and Freddie Mitchell who produced the big plays that helped the team finally win the NFC Championship Game. Reggie Brown was drafted the following year. Reggie's apprenticeship lasted a half-season instead of a couple of years. Brown took over as the starting Z-receiver in the middle of his rookie year and he has been there ever since. Eagles fans are hard on Brown. After watching Terrell Owens in his time as an Eagle, fans want Pro Bowl-caliber play from the receiver position. Reggie is a solid receiver, but he has not been a Pro Bowl-level player. Let's talk about Reggie. He has good size at 6-1, 197 pounds. He has pretty good speed. Brown is a very good route runner, which is something that coaches appreciate more than fans. He has excellent body control and cuts quickly. Brown has okay hands. He'll make the occasional tough catch (think about the 4th-and-15 grab in the first Washington game). His reception total has increased every year (43 to 46 to 61). Reggie is a very good blocker. The problem with Reggie Brown is that he's not dynamic in any way. A receiver that Brown reminds me of at times is Hines Ward of the Steelers. Both guys went to the University of Georgia. Both guys are athletic, but neither is a natural receiver. Ward didn't take off as anything special until his fifth season. He did put up 94 catches in his fourth year, but only had four touchdowns and a so-so yards per catch average. Ward came to the NFL more as a football player than a wide receiver. It took a few years for him to grow into that role. Brown could be on a similar path. I told friends when Reggie was picked that he was more of a football player than receiver and that he reminded me of Ward. I cannot guarantee you that Brown will develop just like Hines did, but there is a similarity between them. Coming into the 2007 season there was quite a bit of optimism regarding Brown. He averaged just under 18 yards a catch in 2006 and caught eight touchdown passes. Those numbers offered a lot of encouragement. Reggie got off to a slow start this season, even though he is not completely at fault. Brown finished with a career high in catches, 61, but only had four touchdowns. His yards per reception dropped from 17.7 to 12.8. People saw those numbers and are really concerned. You can't just focus on those numbers. Donovan McNabb averaged 8.4 yards per pass attempt in 2006. That figure fell to 7.03 in 2007. That may not sound like much to the average person, but it is. McNabb's yards per attempt was the second-highest figure in the league in 2006. Last season, McNabb ranked 15th. The team as a whole struggled with the deep passing game. There are multiple reasons. McNabb's health was a key factor. Early on he didn't appear comfortable planting his leg and striding into his downfield throws. The offensive line struggled early in the year. You can't throw deep without protection. We got very little production from the tight ends early on. Without them as a threat in the middle of the field, opposing safeties could sit deep and take away the deep ball. This wasn't a case of Reggie Brown simply becoming ineffective down the field. Let's talk about Brown's touchdowns. I can think of three plays where he should have had touchdowns. Brown lined up on the left side in Week 2 against Washington inside the 10-yard line. He ran a slant and the cornerback played off. McNabb threw the ball way too high and Brown couldn't make the catch. It should have been an easy score. A couple of weeks later against the Giants, Brown was robbed of a touchdown. McNabb scrambled to buy some time. He went to his right and spotted Brown wide open. McNabb got the ball to him for an apparent score. Only problem ... McNabb crossed the line of scrimmage by a foot or so and the play was nullified. Late in the season against the Dolphins, Brown lost another score due to a penalty. The Eagles ran a flea-flicker early in the game. It worked to perfection and resulted in a long touchdown catch. Unfortunately L.J. Smith was flagged for holding. There you have three plays where Brown did his job and should have had a touchdown. Those plays would have given him seven touchdowns for the year and would have provided a significant boost to his average yards per reception. To think that the Eagles can't win a Super Bowl with him starting seems like a flawed notion to me. Brown is an ascending player. What you see isn't what you will get. He has improved each season. The Reggie Brown of 2008 will be different than the 2007 version. How different? How good? I can't say. We can only speculate. I do think he will be better. Why have the Eagles shown an interest in other receivers? They are staying true to the philosophy of trying to upgrade. They talked to Randy Moss, one of the best receivers in the history of pro football. The Eagles reportedly talked to Arizona about Larry Fitzgerald, a player with multiple Pro Bowls under his belt. This is not a case of the Eagles trying to make a change for the sake of making a change. They are only "looking" at players that are definite upgrades. Moss re-signed with the Patriots and Fitzgerald just signed an extension with the Cardinals. With them off the market, I'm not so sure what the Eagles will do. There have been rumors about Chad Johnson, but I don't buy them for a second. The only other player who I can think of as a possible target is Roy Williams of the Lions. There is no guarantee that Williams is even available. The receiver situation could easily drag on until draft weekend, being resolved with a pick or a trade. Don't count on anything. Should the Eagles stick with Reggie Brown and Kevin Curtis, that isn't necessarily a bad thing. I know fans want change, but both guys should be better players in 2008. Curtis will be in the system for a second year. Brown will be entering the prime of his career. Arguably the biggest factor of all is that Donovan McNabb will be healthy heading into the season. That alone will have a major impact on the passing game.

Reid: We Made An Effort For WR Moss

Wed, 05 Mar 2008 06:26:23 -0600

On The Inside March 4, 2008 Eagles head coach Andy Reid acknowledged in a Tuesday morning interview with ESPN's Mike & Mike In The Morning Show and then later in the day at the NovaCare Complex that the team did make an effort to sign unrestricted free agent Randy Moss over the weekend, and that, as anticipated, Moss stayed with New England.....read more---> "Randy was always going to go back to the Patriots," said Reid. "He made that clear. I just inquired about it and took a shot at it. I understand why he went back there. Life is good for him right now. It's the best it's ever been in his career. He's a great kid and he is having a great career with the Patriots and there was no question he was going back there." The Eagles made the effort and had it worked out, said Reid, "He would have fit in fine here." But Moss returned to New England and every Eagles' fan understood again the team's intention in this offseason: If there is a player who can make a difference, the Eagles will try to add him to the team. It isn't anything entirely different from the past, and the Eagles have demonstrated their willingness to go after players they believe can make a difference. They have gone out and signed big-dollar free agents. They have made risky trades. They have moved up and down and all around in the draft. They are willing to play the game. And they are willing to accept that sometimes you land the player you target and sometimes you don't. In the case of Moss, the Eagles watched him re-sign with New England. The Eagles, then, are being roundly applauded for their efforts to secure the superstar wide receiver. Truth is, the Eagles are only interested in improving the roster and making the best team they can possibly manage under the salary cap. They targeted Moss and they didn't get him. On to the next target. Understandably, Eagles fans are now licking their chops waiting to see what happens next. There is the great expectation that the Eagles have expressed their desire to upgrade the wide receiver corps and will stop at nothing to get a "true No. 1 receiver" here. Problem is, that isn't a realistic expectation. Here, then, is a word of caution to Eagles fans: Just because the Eagles made a run at Moss doesn't mean they will proceed through every caution sign and blow past every stop sign to sign, or trade for, or draft a wide receiver. There are a few reasons for my advisory here. One, the Eagles were simply following their mantra of pursuing a real ""difference-making player"" when they looked into � very strongly looked into � the Moss picture. Moss isn't just any receiver. He is a superstar. And when the Eagles see a player they grade at that level, they do what they can to bring him to Philadelphia. In today's market, there aren't very many of those kinds of receivers. That's a fact. That limits the field tremendously. In free agency, the talent pool has dipped dramatically. Are there any difference makers available in free agency? You tell me. As for the trade route, look, I've read every report, digested every rumor and the same conclusion keeps coming to mind: It takes two to tango and there aren't many dance partners willing to trade a star wide receiver. The draft? I'll leave that up to the draft gurus in the audience. I don't know much at all about the college pool, but I will concede that anything is possible and so the draft weekend holds all of my attention for a variety of reasons. The final point is this: The Eagles really do like their group of receivers. It isn't so much different than the acquisition of cornerback Asante Samuel: The Eagles liked their cornerbacks before Samuel and now they have a picture the league can envy. As Reid said on Tuesday morning on ESPN about his cornerbacks, "I've got a couple of good ones here right now (Lito Sheppard, Sheldon Brown) and when you add him (Samuel) into the mix, you've got a heck of a secondary." Kevin Curtis caught 77 passes for 1,100 yards last year. He scored eight touchdowns. Reggie Brown struggled at times but put it together in the second half of the season and finished with a career-best 61 receptions. Jason Avant should get better and better with time, and Greg Lewis and Hank Baskett have been good when called upon. The Eagles have had no problems � not last year, not in years past � getting the ball to the wide receivers. I consider Brian Westbrook the third part of the equation here � wide receivers, tight ends and Westbrook � and the Eagles have the ability to spread the ball around and make plays and do what they have to do if everything is clicking. Look, I have no problem agreeing that the Eagles must improve the offense. They have to be more efficient in everything they do. As I've written before, the offense can be improved in other ways than by adding a wide receiver. Sure, the Eagles made a play for Moss. It came out of the blue, yes, and it was something that jolted a lot of fans got everyone excited. It doesn't mean, however, that it's all about wide receiver in this offseason. The Eagles are going to address the entire team before it's all said and done. They are going to be creative and aggressive and do the thing necessary to make this the best possible team in 2008. Just don't get it into your head that it's wide receiver-or-bust in the months ahead. It isn't. There is more to the team than that.

Interpreting 'Not Far Away' For The Eagles

Fri, 25 Jan 2008 09:56:44 -0600

January 24, 2008 On The Inside We need to get a couple of things straight here, folks. First, the Eagles are not pleased to be sitting as bystanders watching the playoffs and seeing a division rival enjoying the spotlight. And second, yes, the Eagles think they "aren't far away," but to interpret that as meaning the team is coming back as it was in 2007 is just not the case. When defensive coordinator Jim Johnson suggested the other day that the Eagles were playing as well as any team in the NFC at the end of the regular season, it set off a trigger in some fans' and some members of the media's brains. How could he suggest a thing? Well, folks, all Johnson said was the truth. The Eagles won their final three games, two against teams (Dallas and New Orleans) with something on the line and with a home crowd behind them. Johnson watched the tape and saw his defense stuff Dallas' high-powered offense into a sock. He saw the pressure on New Orleans quarterback Drew Brees and the way the defense responded in an impressive victory. And then, in the finale, he watched the Eagles keep Buffalo out of the end zone to finish the season on a somewhat-positive note. So, yeah, Johnson is right. The Eagles played well at the end of the season. Problem was, they didn't play well in the 13 games leading up to that point, which is why this off-season is so critical. The Eagles have positions they need to address, and they know it. Look, I'm not going to sit here and promise you the Eagles are going to go out and sign every free agent available and then trade up into the top 10 and make the top-headline splash on draft weekend. I don't know if that is going to be the approach. I do know the Eagles are unhappy with the 8-8 season, with being out of the playoffs in two of the last three seasons, and they have a lot of work to do in the months ahead. So why would you be upset with that thinking? I hope you're not. I hope you see what I see, a team with a lot of talent, a good coaching staff and yes, some missing pieces. I still stand by what I saw in the throes of the season, that the Eagles need more playmakers. But I like a lot of this roster. I like the offensive line. I love the running back. I like the wide receivers, but I would prefer to love this group and still want a push there. I love the quarterback situation, all three of them. I really like the defensive line, but another one or two pieces would be great. The linebackers are as talented and promising as I've seen here in a long, long time. The secondary, when healthy, is darn good, but I want more there, too. Give me a couple of pieces and let's go. Won't you jump out of your seats in the preseason if the Eagles return a kick for a touchdown? I mean, really. You think the Eagles don't see the same needs as most of you see? Certainly, the obsession with the "superstar" wide receiver the fans and media in this town have is always going to be a story, but I think the Eagles have demonstrated a willingness in the past to try to add one, or two, even. Anyway, I have great excitement for the season ahead. I'm going to keep my fingers crossed that the young players continue to progress -- and I know that is not going to happen exactly as planned, but hopefully most of them will take the next step, as planned -- and look at Donovan McNabb and believe that another year after his injury will make all of the difference in the world. I think the one thing that worries fans is the idea that the Eagles are satisfied with finishing the season with three straight victories, that the Eagles sat back and said, "Yes, now there is the team we all thought we had!" And that the Eagles will do nothing to improve. That isn't the case. The Eagles have an agenda they are preparing, a long list of things they want to accomplish in the months to come. They will have a Plan B and a Plan C. They will have things go their way, and things go the other way. But as they stand now, the Eagles have a team with a lot of good things going for it. I'm sure most teams in the NFL feel that way. It is pretty clear that the divide in the NFL is very thin between the top and the bottom, that the 1-53 talent difference isn't that great. I'm always going to say that it starts with the quarterback, and I believe are going to be fine there for many, many years to come. So please don't overreact. Don't think the Eagles are sitting back, all cozy and cuddly after an 8-8 season. But also understand that this team believes in many of the pieces in place, and that most of those pieces are coming back for 2008. The Eagles aren't about to be torn down and built from the ground up. There are going to be significant additions -- maybe one, maybe two -- and some subtractions. That's the way the game works. Every season is different. I still feel the momentum from winning those last three games. The good feeling the coaches and personnel staff have is a result of those final three wins. The next step is making the right moves between now and February 29, and then making positive additions then. Is it a crime to like the team? I don't think so. The Eagles sure liked it going into the 2007 campaign. Things didn't go as the team hoped, and for that the Eagles need to learn from their mistakes and not repeat them. Geez, though, understand that there are going to be changes and the Eagles know it better than anybody. Fact is, the Eagles aren't "far away." There aren't many teams in the NFL who are "far away" and that's the truth. At the same time, the Eagles are watching the action now. That is the sense of anguish deep in the pit of everybody's stomach at the NovaCare Complex, the feeling that is motivating everyone each day now.

Eagles Ink Three To Contracts

Wed, 09 Jan 2008 06:47:47 -0600

January 8, 2008 By: CHRIS McPHERSON He helped end the Eagles' 2006 playoff run. He's now one of their teammates. Wide receiver Jamal Jones was one of three players the Eagles signed to a contract on Tuesday. Jones signed a three-year deal along with defensive end Xzavie Jackson who spent this past season on the Eagles practice squad. Defensive end A.J. Schable was signed to a two-year deal. Jones played in 14 games (one start) including playoffs for the Saints in 2006, including the 27-24 win over the Eagles in the divisional round of the NFC playoffs. He caught six passes for 108 yards and one touchdown, while posting nine tackles, one forced fumble and one fumble recovery on special teams. The 5-11, 205-pound Jones was released by the Saints during this past year's training camp. He was originally signed by St. Louis as a rookie free agent from North Carolina A&T in 2004 and spent time on Green Bay's practice squad late that season. In 2005, he appeared in two games for the Packers after being allocated to Frankfurt of NFL Europe. Jones was a high school teammate of Brian Westbrook at DeMatha Catholic High School. Jackson was signed to the Eagles practice squad on November 7 and remained until the conclusion of the season. Originally signed as a rookie free agent out of Cincinnati following the 2007 draft, Jackson was released when the Bengals trimmed their roster down to 53 players. Jackson played at Missouri, which is where defensive coordinator Jim Johnson played as a quarterback, and notched eight sacks, 13.5 tackles for a loss and one interception as a senior in 2006. Schable was originally signed as a rookie free agent by Arizona in 2006. He appeared in 11 games for the Cardinals as a defensive end and fullback during his rookie campaign, making 12 special teams tackles. In 2007, Schable competed to be a backup fullback as well as a contributor on special teams but he was released during training camp. A native of Ida Grove, IA, he recorded 28 sacks during his collegiate career at South Dakota, including 19 as a senior in 2005.

Successful Surgery For TE Celek

Wed, 09 Jan 2008 06:42:43 -0600

January 8, 2008 By: CHRIS McPHERSON Tight end Brent Celek underwent successful surgery Tuesday morning to repair the labrum in his right shoulder. The procedure was performed by team physicians Dr. Peter DeLuca and Dr. Paul Marchetto at Methodist Hospital in Philadelphia. A fifth-round pick out of Cincinnati in 2007, Celek caught 16 passes for 178 yards and a touchdown as he played in all 16 games and started in four as a rookie. He capped off his first year in the league with a 2-yard touchdown reception in the season finale against Buffalo. Late in the season, the 6-4, 255-pound Celek became the primary tight end as L.J. Smith and Matt Schobel both battled injuries. At Dallas, Celek made an amazing 29-yard catch on a 3rd down late in the fourth quarter to help seal the victory. In his last three games, Celek had eight catches for 103 yards and the touchdown. He made his first career start against Chicago. His first career reception was a 31-yard grab at the Giants. At Cincinnati, Celek finished his career ranked third on the school's all-time list among tight ends in catches (91) and touchdowns (14), while amassing 1,135 yards. He led all Big East tight ends in receptions and yards, while adding three touchdowns as a senior. Celek finished his career with a streak of 25 straight games with a catch.

McNabb playing finale for first time in 3 years

Thu, 27 Dec 2007 10:31:55 -0600

12/27/2007 Still improving from offseason knee surgery and a midseason ankle sprain, Donovan McNabb is playing his best football as the season closes and expects to be back next year with the Eagles. By Steve Patton Reading Eagle Their season will end Sunday, and with Donovan McNabb as the starting quarterback. That�s not an insignificant development for the Philadelphia Eagles, who concluded the last two seasons and three of the previous five years with McNabb sidelined by injury. That he�s around for the finish of this one, coming back from reconstructive knee surgery and a midseason ankle injury to play his best football as the season ends, also speaks to McNabb�s future with the team. Which, by the way, he and head coach Andy Reid don�t discuss. �I talk to him every day; I�m living it every day,� said Reid, asked if he plans to talk to McNabb once the season ends. �I don�t know how much he needs to hear or I need to say or anything like that. He kind of knows how we feel.� �My mindset is just like I�ve said before: I don�t even focus on it,� said McNabb, looking to extend his best two-game stretch of the season into a third straight win that will lift the Birds to an 8-8 record. �I look at it as being here next year. They can talk about where I may go or what may happen. But until something is final, I�m still here in Philadelphia, and that�s the way I�m going to treat it. �Every offseason has been kind of entertaining for me since I�ve been here anyway, so this is just going to be another one to kind of put under the belt.� Almost from the time the team drafted Houston quarterback Kevin Kolb in April, there has been a question about McNabb�s future in Philadelphia. Speculation that his career here was winding up only increased as he struggled to come back from the torn anterior cruciate ligament that ended his 2006 season, and again after he purportedly told sideline reporter Pam Oliver that he was on his way out. All McNabb has done since then is throw for 471 yards and four touchdowns and run for 90 yards in leading the Birds to upsets of the Cowboys and Saints. �I like the improvement he�s made,� said Reid of McNabb�s finish. �I think he�s playing confident football. I think it�s great for him to finish up the season that way.� McNabb said he felt his knee was getting better toward the middle of the season, and expected that it would take �probably about a year or so for me to regain all of that back and kind of be the same guy that I was before the injury.� �Just to carry that over into the offseason is a real positive for him,� said Reid. Believing that he�ll be back for another season in Philadelphia will also be something McNabb carries into the offseason, thanks to Reid�s unwavering support and comments two weeks ago from team president Joe Banner that he couldn�t envision a scenario in which McNabb wasn�t the team�s quarterback in 2008. It�s why, said McNabb, he doesn�t discuss his future with Reid. �We talk all the time, but I don�t talk about trade or where I may play,� said McNabb. �It�s already been said that I will be here, so I don�t go further into talking about being anywhere else because you begin to do that, now it becomes a distraction. At this point, that�s something we don�t need.� Yet McNabb said he wouldn�t feel betrayed if the team did wind up dealing him to one of the teams rumored to be interested. �Things in life, sometimes you have to be prepared for the worst,� said McNabb. �You just never know what can happen. But at this given time, I�m going to do what I have to do to play at a high caliber; play at my best. �If something was to happen, hey, it happens. I wouldn�t be the first.� Contact Steve Patton at 610-371-5097 or spatton@readingeagle.com.