This post is to just request that if someone posts up a story, don't post up like 100 more of the same story. It just is not fair to the person who was the first to get it on here. Please check YardBarker first before posting a breaking story. If you are the first to get something on the site, you should be credited for that and rewarded...not having to sit by and watch other members get all the feedback while you sit by and get nothing. I just think it is only right, don't you all agree? Shouldn't the guy who broke the story on here get the credit he deserves?

An MRI was done on McNabb's shoulder, and everything looked OK. I am getting sick and tired of everyone overblowing every little thing about the Eagles and their players, especially DMac. He never had a history of injury, he just had a few freak injuries where he was unlucky is all. He is not injury prone (JUST UNLUCKY). Now with this situation, all he had was a little inflammation in his shoulder (tendinitis), and he is just experiencing a LITTLE tightness...nothing really to be stressing about too much. Everyone should ease down with these minor injuries, cause unlike everyone else, athletes have their bodies in extremely good shape, and have the best doctors giving them the best treatment. Something that could be bothering us for 2 years could be fixed and the player could be 100 percent in 6 months. Please stop comparing yourselves to McNabb's situation, as it is just not the same. He does not have severe tendinitis (I wanted to clear that up and I have proof right here)...it is just SLIGHT tendinitis, and some tightness. He will be treated for 2 weeks, and will have 3 weeks to go to Arizona and do his thing as he usually does. Expect McNabb to continue with what he was doing towards the end of the year, and expect him to be back to his old self (a threat with throwing and running with the ball).

Alright everyone, this is just starting to get out of hand. Now just because McNabb is out for a bit, everyone is freaking out? Look I know all about injuries so yes if you guys want to ask me when a player gets hurt how much time hes REALLY looking, ask away. This is not serious at all. Tendonitis happens when a person over uses a part of his body and the tendon gets a little irritated...result = a little redness and a tiny bit of swelling. All they will do is shut him down for now and there is nothing to worry about. He will just be using a lot of ice and before you know it, he will be 100 percent by training camp. They may put him on anti inflamatories to help reduce the swelling, but being that he has 5 weeks to rest it up, they will probably just put him on ice. You guys have nothing to worry about, and he will be 100 percent at training camp. Remember, the reason this happened was cause sometimes they lost track of how many passes he was throwing, and ya when you do throw a little too much this can happen. It's not a big deal and no one should really worry.

BOWMAN ISN'T A BIRD

Posted by Mike Florio on May 1, 2008, 2:51 p.m.

We've been flooded today with e-mails from PFT Planeteers in Philly asking about Internet reports (man, I hate those) that the Eagles have inked Oklahoma State receiver Adarius Bowman.

Per a league source with knowledge of the situation, the Eagles have not signed Bowman. We're also told that they will not sign him.

Bowman was expected to be a first-day draft pick. An April 14 guilty plea to marijuana possession hurt him, and he ultimately wasn't drafted.

All the previous reports were bs.

BOWMAN ISN'T A BIRD

Posted by Mike Florio on May 1, 2008, 2:51 p.m.

We've been flooded today with e-mails from PFT Planeteers in Philly asking about Internet reports (man, I hate those) that the Eagles have inked Oklahoma State receiver Adarius Bowman.

Per a league source with knowledge of the situation, the Eagles have not signed Bowman. We're also told that they will not sign him.

Bowman was expected to be a first-day draft pick. An April 14 guilty plea to marijuana possession hurt him, and he ultimately wasn't drafted.

This should clear things up for all y'all in the yard :)

I love the guy, but I guess his time is Philly is done. I have a feeling we might be seeing more of the 3-4 look on defense. Gocong and Clemens could be on the edges as they are LB/DE....Bradley and Gaither can be in the middle. This new look on D could be just what we need.

Alright you guys, players are all done being franchise tagged, and now we have a clear picture of the pool of players we expect to see. I have looked at everything that has happened, and after much thought, I came up with a plan that I believe the Philadelphia Eagles will follow.

As soon as the free agency begins, I think the Eagles should be pretty active right off the bat. I think they will address 2 areas in free agency: Defensive Line and Offensive line. At defensive end, I believe they will sign Antwan Odom of the Titans (not Justin Smith because I believe he just really had one great year, and he won't really be able to pull that off again). I also believe the eagles will eye Darwin Walker for some depth at defensive tackle. This would be really smart as he already knows the system, and he is a really good player. Having consistent play from the defensive tackle is extremely important, as it makes life easier for the ends. Don't get me wrong, I believe the DTs last year played excellent ball, but there is no one behind Bunkley and Patterson.

Although I believe our offensive line, when healthy, is one of the best in the league, I do not want to dismiss the idea of signing an Alan Faneca. Imagine this line: William Thomas, Alan Faneca, Jamaal Jackson, Shawn Andrews, Jon Runyan, with a Todd Herrimans, Max Jean Gilles, and Winston Justice being backups....this would be such a great set up. If any of them get injured, any of our backups can jump in and play at an extremely high level.

I know everyone is saying "The Eagles should address the Corner position in Free Agency and get Asante Samuel", but really, it is not worth it. Asante Samuel is the ONLY elite corner that is in free agency now, being that Marcus Trufant is franchised. He will cost too much money...money that the Eagles just will not be willing to spend (he is looking for 10 years for 100 million total). Let me tell you why this is just not reasonable. First off, It will eat up all our cap space, when there is more than one position that needs addressing. Second, Lito is only being paid 2 million this year, and has been paid like 5 million a year for each year of his extension. Paying Asante Samuel 10 mil per year will make Lito feel under appreciated, and cause all sorts of problems. We do not want this, as Lito has been a solid lock down corner, and way better than Asante Samuel when he is healthy. I believe Lito will be healthy this year, so we should not worry about the corner position in free agency. If we do consider anyone, it should be Allan Rossum. He is a great kickoff/punt returner, and he will help with depth at the corner position. Remember, he was an Eagle when he first came into the league. At the Safety position, I believe we should re-sign J.R. Reed, start Mikell at strong safety, and leave Dawkins at free safety. Have J.R. Reed backup Dawkins, and Considine backup Mikell as well as work on special teams (I would love to see how he can do here).

Don't worry everyone, I have not forgotten the on position that we have all been crying about for years (including myself). The Eagles NEED to go after a big name wide receiver. Hearing everything in the news though, we just do not have as many options as we would have hoped. I don't know about all of you, but I am tired of seeing the fat man (as much as I love the guy) bringing in number 2 and 3 receivers and expecting them to play like number 1s. Here is what I believe we should do.

1. Try throwing a boat load of money towards Randy Moss - this probably won't work but it is worth a try. If this does not work, move on to number 2. If this works, move on to number 3.

2. Put together a trade package for one of the following players: Reggie Wayne (no chance of this happening but it is worth a try), Roy Williams (very low chance), Donald Driver, or Torry Holt. Javon Walker is probably going to be traded (we will not trade for him). If not look at the next option about him.

3. If a trade goes through, pick up D.J. Hackett or Jerry Porter in Free Agency. If not, pick up D.J. Hackett AND Jerry Porter. A combination of both can be very deadly and not expensive. Javon Walker is also a possibility, but I would like to stay away from him. If we do get him, we should get him cheap, so it isn't as bad. Also, if we do get him, we need to get a number 2 receiver with him. Getting Donte Stallworth is out of reach. He would have re-signed with the Eagles after the '06 season, but the Eagles released him. He will want way more money now, and he really is not worth that much being that he is injured, and hasn't put up that great numbers over the last 2 years. Also, he is too injury prone, so go with the beginning of this number.

Release the following players:

Defense - Kearse (I want to keep him but his release is imminent), Darren Howard, Jerome Mcdougle, Ian Scott, Kimo Von Olenhoffen

Offense - Greg Lewis (if we can't package him in a trade), Thomas Tapeh, Ryan Moats, Reno Mahe.

The Draft

1st round - Offensive Tackle or Defensive End or Safety... Kenny Phillips is our best bet here if he is available.

2nd round - Trade up for Aqib Talib or Dominique Rogers Cromartie (most preferably Cromartie to work the Nickel)

Later rounds - Pick up James Hardy at WR. He is a true specimen. 6'7" with great hands. We need a huge receiver like him, and can use him in the red zone. Only problem with him is that he has some character issues, but around the right people (Dawkins, McNabb, TKO) (and oh yes keep him away from Mike Patterson for now LMAO, we don't want him turning into a pot head too hahaha, as much as I love Mike Patterson), he can end up being pretty great.

If the Eagles do all of this, I think it can be the right recipe to get us back in the Super Bowl hunt, and most probably represent the NFC in the Super Bowl (see you all in Tampa).

Thank you Eagles fans for taking the time to read this, as it is much appreciated. Keep bleeding green everyone. Please leave plenty of comments for me telling me what you think the Eagles should do and what you think about my article. Also, please give me a thumbs up also, and boost my rating if you like what you read. I believe it is better to write what you think the eagles should do or give opinions rather than see the bullshit that people put on this site about fake trades. Keep the site strong people, and put up good stuff again.

E...A...G...L...E...S.......EAGLES!!!!!!

Alright, after putting in much thought, I have finally put out a real blueprint for the Eagles offseason for 2008.

Offense

Right away when we think about the offense, we think about getting a big time receiver for Donovan to work with. I mean, come one, the last time the Eagles had a REAL receiver, we went to the Superbowl, and had a chance to come home with a championship. What should we do?

1. First thing we need is a big time receiver. Sorry Eagles Front Office, another number 2/3 receiver just wont cut it here. Stallworth is nice and all, but is a huge injury risk, as he is ALWAYS injured. Also, if we had him as a number 2 option, imagine what we could do, so let us move on to what we need in that number 1 slot. As i have stated in my article earlier this week, the potential receivers that seem practical to get, that are NOT named Chad Johnson, are Javon Walker, Randy Moss, Torry Holt, and Larry Fitzgerald. Yes I am shooting down the idea of Chad in midnight green because his team is NOT trading him, and we definitely do not want T.O. junior on our team. Now let's start with Javon walker. Prior to the injuries, he was a dynamic receiver who worked the field really well. He had a great season prior to tearing his knee up, then went to the Broncos and in his first year there, tore it up yet again. The problem is, the injuries to his knees are a little much, and ones I do not think he can really recover from completely. I do not think he is worth the risk for the Eagles to go after, so let us just put him aside. I mean come on, knee reconstruction, and then micro-fracture surgery (which is a potential career ender there because most players don't end up the same after). Now, let us move on to Larry Fitzgerald. He said it himself that he would not mind playing for the Eagles. Great! One problem though....he KINDA said the same thing about a handful of other teams, so we do not know if the REAL desire is there for him to play as an eagle. Number 2, as must as he is a top receiver in this league, I think a lot of his success comes from playing across from Anquan Boldin, who i think is much better because he is a more physical receiver, and is great with yards after the catch. After pointing all these out, I really don't think it is practical to pick up the hefty pricetag that comes with him. The next receiver I have named is Randy Moss. What can I say, he is a true freak of nature...a true TD machine. Someone who could stretch the field, someone with blinding speed, someone who clearly will add TDs to a team in dire need to score. I have a problem with Randy though. Number 1, I have the fear of him reverting back to old Randy, and I don't want anything to do with that. Number 2, he struggles when facing physical corners, and when bumped around, you saw what an elite corner like Lito did to him. Last, I really can't see the Pats letting him go. Brady is lobbying for him to stay, so there is NO way that the Patriots front office will let him go. On to the last number 1 we have listed, Torry Holt. Now here is a real great player. Someone who is great off the field, and on the field. Someone who does not come with the diva attitude that most receivers come with. Someone who is Mr. Consistent, Posting up several 1100+ yard seasons in a row, and being only 33, has a handful more years left to play at an elite level. Now many people have cried out saying that there is no way St. Louis would trade him, or he is too old, or his production will go down. Come on people! First off, he is ONLY 33, and still has a couple of years left in the tank to play at a really high level. Number 2, he is great friends with McNabb, so he would definitely have a desire to play here, on top of him having the greatest chance to win a superbowl again. Number 3, he put up 1180 yards with the crapshack situation the rams had at offensive line. It's truly amazing to think that a receiver could do so much still with Bulger spending most of his time admiring the sky from his green, grassy seat. Lastly, many people believe that there is no way St. Louis would give up an elite player like Holt just like that. This is absolutely wrong. I can give you a situation which would work perfectly:

Offer St. Louis a 2nd round pick, Darren Howard, and Sean Consodine (yes they are in dire need of defensive help) for Torry Holt

2. Now the second thing the eagles need to do on offense is pick up a real number 2 receivers, as i cannot look at Reggie Brown with a straight face anymore when the word starter is put by his name. Possible receivers the Eagles can go after: Donte Stallworth (he knows the offense, and has blinding speed. He can stretch the field as Curtis works the slot and Holt does his thing on the other side), Jerry Porter, D.J. Hackett, or even Javon Walker (as he would be very cheap, and we could sign him to a 1 year deal...he would be very willing to do so because he wants to prove himself to everyone that he can still play after the major injuries that he had)

Defense

1. Get Rid of Mcdougle, and keep Kearse. I know everyone wants to just give up on Kearse, but i really believe that he is coming back with a HUGE chip on his shoulder. We saw signs of what we originally signed up for in the beginning of the '06 season, before he got injured. Then in '07, he started off pretty great, but complications with his knee kept him from finishing off the season at starter. This is alright, as it takes a year and a half to 2 years usually to COMPLETELY recover from a major knee injury like he had. I think he will come out strong in '08, and give Trent Cole the help he really needs. Our starters at defensive would be: Kearse and Cole. Our backups would be: Abiamiri, Jaqua Thomas, and a young player that we can pick up in the draft or someone from free agency.

2. Pick up good depth for defensive tackle. Bunkley will be even more of a beast this year, and Patterson should continue to play at the high level he did all year last year. Monte Reagor was a disappointment, but should be better next year (hopefully). Behind them, we really don't have anyone. Kimo Von Olenhoffen was a HUGE disappointment, and seems like he wont join the Eagles the next season. The draft or free agency should help here (mainly the draft)

3. Pick up Trufant or Asante Samuel in free agency. I think Trufant is the better choice because he doesn't come with the 10 million dollar a year price tag that Samuels does. Also, if he starts along side an elite CB like Lito, he should be even better than last year, where he played great. As for Samuels, I really think he is not as good as everyone says or it seems. His numbers went down, even though they were still good, but I think he only made the pro bowl this year because of his '06 performance rather than his '07 performance. Also, a really good corner with height and speed should be good in the draft to pick up. Move Sheldon Brown to Nickel, as I believe he would excel in that position, and would play even better than in years past.

4. Start Q. Mikell along side B. Dawkins. Pick up a young safety to groom in the draft.

Special Teams

Plain and simple, we should either go after Deshawn Jackson, or go after a defensive back who can also double up as a KR/PR. I'm sorry but Reno Mahe just isn't the spark that we need.

I hope the Eagles have a great off season, and end up in Tampa next season. Please leave comments people, and thank you so much for putting the time in to read my article.

E...A...G...L...E...S...EAGLES!!!!!

Come on people, are you for real? My boy Hugh Douglas says it best...this team is not far off, and this defense is definitely not far off from being great. There are a few things the Eagles can do to make their defense better, but a complete over haul is not what is needed. There is absolutely no need to go gung-ho into free agency and spend away on defensive players. Our defense last season was a top ten defense in the NFL. Our Linebacker Corps, although young, was just excellent. Omar Gaither had a hell of a year in his first year as a Middle Linebacker. Takeo? Come on, do i need to say more? Chris Gocong played well, but I think he will make a big leap and get much better next season, as he was getting used to a new role as a starting linebacker. Our Defensive line? Except for consistent play at the Left defensive end spot (injury to Kearse and a new role for Jaqua), the play on the D line was really good. Bunkley broke out into a great young tackle, and Matt Patterson had his best year....and Trent Cole....he has molded himself into one of the best defensive ends in the league. For our D line, i believe we should give Kearse one last chance, but let go of Darren Howard and Jerome Mcdougle. Do all of you remember the start of the 2006 season? It finally started to seem like our investment from the offseason before the '04 season was paying off. Kearse started off with 3 and a half sacks in his first 2 games before being lost for the season. He then started great in '07, but the knee just wasn't completely healthy. I think this year should be his year. Now on to our secondary is where we need some help. We do not need a complete over haul. Here is where i believe a player in free agency a la Asante Samuel or a la Marcus Trufant would pay huge dividends. Also, a player, such as Dominique Rogers Cromartie, who we can pick up in the 2nd round or so, would be perfect for depth. Imagine this situation: Lito and Asante starting, Sheldon at nickel, Cromartie as a number 4, Hanson at 5, and Mikell and Dawk at safety...need i say more? There would not be a better secondary in the league.

To sum it all up, the front office should

1. Drop dead weight in Darren Howard and Jerome Mcdougle, as they are just not working out for us, and give Kearse one more chance. Have Kearse start along side Cole, and have Jaqua Thomas and Victor Abiamiri as backups

2. Pick up depth at Defensive Tackle

3. Leave our linebackers be, as they are just playing great football

4. Pick up Trufant or Samuel in free agency, and draft Dominique Rogers Cromartie (or a corner like him with size and speed to cover a player like Plaxico Burress)

5. Start Mikell and Dawkins at Safety

If we do this, I am almost completely certain that our defense will be as ferocious as it was in the beginning of this decade. There is no need for a COMPLETE overhaul as our defense is already great. We just need a few tweaks to make it elite.

E...A...G...L...E...S...EAGLES!!!!

I think everyone should stop with the Chad Johnson talk, the Larry Fitzgerald talk, and the Roy Williams talk. None of those situations are practical. First off, is it just me, or does anyone else see that this situation is a lot like T.O.'s a couple of years back? Chad is becoming too much of a diva, and as much as I love me some Ocho Cinco, he is turning into a T.O. junior. We do not want another T.O. situation on our hands. Second, Larry Fitzgerald will be way too expensive. I think he just costs too much money, and in my opinion, hes not the best receiver in Arizona. I believe Anquan Boldin makes Larry Fitzgerald better than he really is (Larry is still a top receiver, but not as good as he seems to be). Third, as I have said many a time, the Roy Williams trade is not practical by any means. How do you expect Detroit to be dumb enough to take a receiver who is as good as Roy Williams, and give him up for an inconsistent and over paid WR in Reggie Brown, and a 4th round pick which will probably ride the practice squad all year.



Now that we have gotten that out of the way, let us get to something that is really practical. There are 2 number 1 receivers who the eagles can realistically go after: Javon Walker and......TORRY HOLT. Yes you did not hear me wrong...I said Torry Holt. First off let's get to Javon. Before he got injured, he was a great receiver, who had a great season. He put up 1382 yards and 12 TDS which is great. The year after the injury, he put up over 1000 yards and 8 tds in his first year with the Broncos. Now don't get me wrong, I know he is a huge injury risk, but we can take a shot at him because he is cheap, and we can also give him a small 1 year deal (he will be very satisfied with that because he will want to prove the league that he still has it). The only problem with him right now though is whether he will truly be effective. He had microfracture surgery on his knee, and that is no small surgery. You may be familiar with this procedure with the NBA, with players such as Jason Kidd, Amare Stoudemire, and Chris Webber. Theres a huge chance that you can end up never truly recovering from this surgery, and with a position like WR, you need your legs, and the explosion you get from them. If Javon doesn't have that, I don't really know if he will be much use to us.

Now we get to Torry Holt. Yes ladies and gents, I said Torry Holt. He is the model for consistency, posting up several 1000 yard seasons in a row (1300 in 2005, 1188 in 2006, and 1189 in 2007). With a REAL QB throwing to him, imagine what he could do. Right now he is not happy in St Louis, as has been reported by ESPN several times. Although he is not on the trading block, I am sure if the right offer was put together and sent to St Louis, Torry Holt could be an eagle without breaking the eagles' back. He is an elite receiver who runs some of the most crisp routes I have ever seen, he has the speed, and he has better hands than almost any receiver in this league. May I also remind you, he is a perfect player for us who offers great leadership in the locker room, experience in big games (having won a Super Bowl), and a player who brings a positive feel to his team (being the ideal team mate). Who cares if he is getting up there in age? Last time i checked, as long as you have all the tools a receiver should have, age doesn't matter as much, and yes he isn't THAT old. He is only 31 years old and still has plenty of time left in the tank. For any of you who are already shooting this idea, sit down and really think about it. Chad Johnson isn't going anywhere trust me. Larry Fitzgerald is just not worth it. Roy Williams won't go anywhere THIS YEAR. We need a number 1 receiver, and the only ones which seem to be move-able are Javon walker and Torry Holt (none of you may think so but trust me, even ESPN said that hes in a bad situation right now and Rams are more likely to give him up than you think). Trust me, we want Torry Holt. Don't say he is old, or losing it, because he has put up great years, year after year, with great numbers. So PLEASE Eagles Front Office, MAKE IT HAPPEN...

E....A....G....L....E....S....EAGLES!!!!