Rumor has it that with the signing of Baron Davis, that Elton Brand may take a pay cut to stay in L.A. I would think that's an odd decision coming from someone who has battled injuries. The West is also always a battle, where Brand would have a better chance to dominate in the East. I can't fault the guy too much though, because Baron Davis is a great PG. This means that the Sixers will probably have to look at some of the restricted free agents. A lot depends on what happens with Iggy and Williams. Not a bad first day off free agency for an NBA fan, though nothing much happening in Philly. At least the Flyers are bringing people to the team left and right.

Here are my picks for this upcoming season. Feel free to disagree as vociferously as you wish.

Regular Season

September

DAY DATE OPPONENT TIME (ET) RADIO NETWORK

Sun. 7 RAMS 1:00 PM WYSP (94.1 FM) and WIP (610 AM) FOX

Mon. 15 @ Cowboys 8:30 PM WYSP (94.1 FM) and WIP (610 AM) ESPN/6ABC*

Sun. 21 STEELERS 4:15 PM WYSP (94.1 FM) and WIP (610 AM) CBS*

Sun. 28 @ Bears 8:15 PM WYSP (94.1 FM) and WIP (610 AM) NBC*

October

DAY DATE OPPONENT TIME (ET) RADIO NETWORK

Sun. 5 REDSKINS 1:00 PM WYSP (94.1 FM) and WIP (610 AM) FOX

Sun. 12 @ 49ers 4:15 PM WYSP (94.1 FM) and WIP (610 AM) FOX

Sun. 19 BYE BYE

Sun. 26 FALCONS 1:00 PM WYSP (94.1 FM) and WIP (610 AM) FOX

November

DAY DATE OPPONENT TIME (ET) RADIO NETWORK

Sun. 2 @ Seahawks 4:15 PM WYSP (94.1 FM) and WIP (610 AM) FOX

Sun. 9 GIANTS 8:15 PM WYSP (94.1 FM) and WIP (610 AM) NBC*

Sun. 16 @ Bengals 1:00 PM+ WYSP (94.1 FM) and WIP (610 AM) FOX

Sun. 23 @ Ravens 1:00 PM+ WYSP (94.1 FM) and WIP (610 AM) FOX

Thurs. 27 CARDINALS 8:00 PM WYSP (94.1 FM) and WIP (610 AM) NFL NETWORK*

December

DAY DATE OPPONENT TIME (ET) RADIO NETWORK

Sun. 7 @ Giants 1:00 PM+ WYSP (94.1 FM) and WIP (610 AM) FOX

Mon. 15 BROWNS 8:30 PM WYSP (94.1 FM) and WIP (610 AM) ESPN/6ABC*

Sun. 21 @ Redskins 1:00 PM+ WYSP (94.1 FM) and WIP (610 AM) FOX

Sun. 28 COWBOYS 1:00 PM+ WYSP (94.1 FM) and WIP (610 AM) FOX

* Nationally televised game

+ Game time subject to change due to flex scheduling

Week 1- Rams @ Philadelphia- Lately, when the Eagles have played an NFC West opponent early in the season, they look like worldbeaters. I don't see anything in the Rams that would cause me to think this trend will be reversed. PREDICTION: Eagles win big

Week 2- Philadelphia @ Cowboys- Dallas is tough to beat at home, and they are the paper division champions. I like the way the Eagles' corners can match up against Dallas, and if they can get DeSean Jackson into the offense, Marty can force the Cowboys to match up Roy Williams against Jackson, Booker, or Westbrook. That being said, I doubt DeSean sees the field on offense this early in the season. Prediction: Eagles lose

Week 3- Steelers @ Philadelphia- I don't like the way that the Eagles match up against the Steelers' running game. The majority of the Eagles' defensive linemen are undersized. Two rookie receivers can lead to a lot of mistakes, however. I would say that turnovers will play a key role in this game. Eagles will also be coming off of a short week. Prediction: Eagles lose a close one

Week 4- Philadelphia @ Bears- I don't think the Bears have any threats. Their defense isn't nearly what they used to be. Rex Grossman or Kyle Orton will be throwing against Lito and Samuel(as things stand now) which should lead to at least one pick. Benson hasn't proven anything. Prediction: Eagles blowout

Week 5- Philadelphia @ Redskins- I think that the Redskins improved a lot last year. I like the way Campbell played, and I like a lot of the players on offense. Who knows what condition Randle El will be? I think their D has a lot of holes. Prediction: Eagles win

Week 6- Philadelphia @ 49ers- It's a shame. I remember watching Montana and Rice when I was a kid. I loved the way they played the game. These are not my childhood 49ers. The Niners are terrible. A nice team to run into before the bye. Prediction: Eagles blowout

Week 7- Bye

Week 8- Falcons @ Philadelphia- Running into a bad team who should be playing a rookie quarterback by then is good for the Eagles. Giving Reid 2 weeks to gameplan? Priceless. Prediction: Eagles blowout

Week 9- Philadelphia @ Seahawks- The Seahawks were pass-happy last year. They should go back to the run more this year. If they continue trying to throw all over the field, I like the Eagles. If they get back to their running game, it will be tough. Prediction: Eagles loss

Week 10- Giants @ Philadelphia- I think they Giant's losses in the offseason hurt them more than most realize. I don't think they match up well against the Eagles. An early look at this game makes me think that Jim Johnson will shine and his defense will have a season-defining game. Prediction: Eagles win

Week 11- Philadelphia @ Bengals- The Bengals are taking backwards steps because of their refusal to build for the future. With locker room drama and free agency looming for players, I don't think the Bengals' focus will be on the game this year. Hopefully, none of their starters will be facing legal trouble. Prediction: Eagles win

Week 12- Philadelphia @ Ravens- Johnson will get after Flacco with a variety of blitzes. He is not known for his mobility, which should lead to some panic and indecision. Ravens' D is still good enough to keep them in the game. Prediction: Eagles win

Week 13- Cardinals @ Philadelphia- I'm hoping there will be a way to watch this game, but I'm guessing I'll be listening to it on WYSP. It's one of the games that makes me happy that we have the NFC West this year, especially because of the short week. Prediction: Eagles win

Week 14- Philadelphia @ Giants- They weren't the Super Bowl champs for no reason. I expect Plax to have a big game at home. Good news is we have a long week to prepare, which benefits Reid. Bad news is we can't win them all. Prediction: Giants win

Week 15- Browns @ Philadelphia- I really like the Browns this year. I think they'll win the AFC North. They've got players on both sides of the ball. Prediction: Browns win

Week 16- Philadelphia @ Redskins- I still think we have too much for the 'Skins. I like the Birds to improve on their performance in the first game. Prediction: Eagles win

Week 17- Cowboys @ Philadelphia- Nothing better than a rivalry game to end the season. This is the game where the Birds' heart and pride carries them to a victory while ESPN's pundits give them no chance. I look to Johnson's defense to cause another poor performance by Tony Romo if he's playing. Of course, both teams may be resting their starters. Prediction: Eagles win

So that's my view on this season. That would give them 11-5 record, which should get them the wild card. It would give them a 4-2 division record, and a pretty good conference record. The two game losing streaks I've predicted would certainly cause a lot of panic in Birds' fans minds. Feel free to disagree. Go Birds!

I was watching NFL Live today, and Mark Schlereth brought up a great point. DeSean Jackson will fit in perfectly with the Eagles' screen plays. If you line him up in the slot so that they have to cover him with an LB, you can run a nice screen pass and have him break one down the field. Our O line loves blocking down field and Jackson has undeniable speed. I think this was a better pick up than I thought, provided he can learn the offense.

I like the Eagles draft. I think the moves they made had them at the better end of the deals. The issue I have is a good draft for this team has nothing to do with the regular season this year. I like the offensive tackle they picked up from Pitt, but he won't see much action this year. I also have the feeling this means they still want to try out Winston Justice. Hopefully, they don't try him about against a good defensive end. Demps looks like a good weapon for Jim Johnson to use when Dawkins retires, but he isn't of much use immediately. Another small, fast end in the rotation may also not see much playing time, and he had academic issues. This worries me because Johnson's defense is not simple to pick up. Jackson will be used in the return game, but our special teams will be a question mark still. The blocking during returns was nothing spectacular last year. I'm figuring we'll have better coverage on kickoffs and punts with the free agent moves we made. We still have 4 corners on the team right now, so a fifth won't come into play (and I know the new guy is injured) unless we can get rid of Lito. I expect Laws to have an immediate impact and I know more penetration from down lineman helps, but that was not a major reason we were not successful last season. I'm curious to know if anyone else thinks the Eagles have done enough to compete in this revamped division next year.