Dawkins believes he'll return to Eagles

TAMPA, Fla. - Brian Dawkins, once the foundation of the Eagles' defense, was helping to build a playground yesterday, taking part in a Super Bowl XLIII promotion that he would have preferred to miss. He would rather have been practicing for the game.

Thirteen years into his career, the free safety is no longer a guy you build a defense around, but the Eagles must decide if the potential free agent is still valuable enough to retain.

Dawkins wants to return next season and believes that he will. He said that coach Andy Reid assured him during his exit interview 10 days ago after the Eagles' NFC championship loss to Arizona that there would be contract discussions at some point.

"I think both sides want to get something done, and that's a positive thing going into any negotiations," Dawkins said after helping build a playground in the Jackson Heights section of Tampa.

Dawkins would not say how much money or how many years he wants from the Eagles, but he acknowledged this will probably be his last contract. He also would not say how many seasons he thinks he has left in his 35-year-old body.

"I think I'm going to take it year to year," Dawkins said. "I think once you put a number on something, you mentally shut yourself down. Maybe you start to think you don't have to work out as hard because you only have one more year. I don't want to put myself mentally in that position."

Dawkins, who will be back in Tampa tomorrow as a finalist for the Walter Payton NFL Man of the Year Award, said he was still getting over the Eagles' loss to the Cardinals.

"Anytime you get kicked out of the NFC championship game, it's tough," Dawkins said. "It's just one of those things that you have to be able to move past."

It is clear, however, that the loss is fresh in Dawkins' mind, particularly the defensive performance. After allowing just four touchdowns in the team's previous six games, the Eagles' defense surrendered four touchdowns and 32 points to the Cardinals.

"What happened in that game was what happened to us when we were losing some games earlier in the season," Dawkins said.

"We were making mental mistakes that were helping the other team, and that's what we did again in that last game. For whatever reason, it happened, and it happened at a very, very bad time."

Dawkins, however, is convinced that the Eagles' defense that finished the season ranked third in the NFL will be even better next season.

"Those young guys will learn, and they will take this, and they will be anxious to get back into training," Dawkins said. "They will hate the fact that they made mistakes in those games when they go back and look at the film, and they will come back better prepared to handle this situation when it comes back.

"I do believe if we do what we're supposed to do this off-season, we will have a chance to get back in this position again. There are no guarantees, but that's just my feeling."

After the Eagles lost their third straight NFC championship game to Carolina in 2004, Dawkins was among the Eagles veterans who made pleas for playmakers. The Eagles' safety does not think this team is in nearly as much need as that one.

"It's more about growing up for us on the defensive side of the ball," Dawkins said. "When you look at our linebacking corps [Stewart Bradley, Chris Gocong and Akeem Jordan], they were puppies - every last one of them. Believe me, they will learn from this."

Dawkins is also confident that the Eagles have enough weapons on the offensive side of the ball.

"When Kevin [Curtis] got back healthy and 100 percent, you saw what we were able to do," Dawkins said. "Brian [Westbrook] was never healthy, and that was a big hindrance to our offense. If the line is solidified and everybody is there protecting Donovan [McNabb] and allowing that running game to get going, I think that's a high-powered offense, and it's going to be tough for teams to stop. I really do believe that.

"Absolutely, you're always going to want to add good players to the puzzle, but do you absolutely need to add? I don't believe that. I think [the team] is in a good place - with an if there. If everybody learns from this year and the mistakes that were made . . . if everybody does that, both players and coaches, this will be a team to be reckoned with next year. I think we can push for the opportunity to play in the Super Bowl."

Dawkins is one of three valued veterans who is eligible for free agency. The team also must make decisions on offensive tackles Jon Runyan and Tra Thomas.

"I believe they can come back and do what they do and do it at a high level," Dawkins said. "Jon had the [knee] injury toward the end of the season, but the cat has played . . . 200 games in a row, so obviously he has played through some other things. He continued to play on that knee, which . . . tells you about his dedication. And Tra, he's been a quiet, consistent guy on the other side. They have some tough decisions to make. If it were my choice, I'd definitely bring them back."