Our first 1,000 yard receiver since Terrell Owens is out with a sports hernia injury. If we can all recall that Dmac had a sports hernia injury two seasons ago and was out all that season and struggled after his surgery. It is a very serious injury and could really hamper Curtis as he is required to run routes across the middle against some very fierce hitting linebackers at a high rate of speed and let us forget the type of linebackers and safeties our receivers are required to go up against in our very tough division.

So here lies the problem... Andy Reid and the front office have been taking intense fire all off season and over the last two seasons that we do not have a true #1 wr option. As an Eagles fan I agree. So now the one wr that we all had hopes for that could actually become a #1 wr is out for possibly a very long time. We all know that Brown has the potential but is too inconsistant with his route running and pass catching ability. Lets face it nobody in the NFL is going to look at our wr's and say we have to put two men on Brown, Avant, Jackson (a rookie but very talented yet undersized), or Baskett. Also today ESPN reported on the very disgruntled Anqaun Boldin who is not on speaking terms with his head coach and feels like the entire organization has lied to him and has lost his trust. He goes on to say that he will not re-sign with the Cardinals he just wants to finish out his contract and get out of Arizona. Then today, the same day that the announcement of Curtis' injury hit the sports headlines, Boldin demands to be traded. I believe that now is the time to avoid some serious scrutiny by fans, and the fact that without a legitimate down field threat by a consistant big aggressive wr like Boldin that our best and brightest hope in midnight green toting #36 on his jersey will become a very big target for defenses because our wr's without Curtis in the mix do not threaten nor scare any defense or defensive coordinator in the NFL. Mr. Reid it is time to pull the trigger!! It time is time to go ahead and avoid a locker room turmoil, and and another Rosenhaus armbarring for a deal. Mr. Reid it is time to offer up Lito and a either our first round pick or the first round pick we got out of Carolina and send it and Lito to Arizona and bring Boldin in to Philly and to put a huge smile on super 5's face and to get that much needed nod of approval by the Eagle Nation fans.

http://www.nfl.com/videos?videoId=09000d5d80a2450d

http://sports.espn.go.com/nfl/trainingcamp08/news/story?id=3543594

Well here it is folks. The trade we have all blogged, argued, and fantasized about. And no it still does not look like the Eagles will trade for a top flight receiver, although Michael Clayton could be a part of this deal and I pray that he is. But the most probable trade will be Tampa's 2nd and 4th round pick.

Hey if you're an eagles fan and have paid attention to how we draft. Who we have on the team that is aging. And if what every analyst is saying about our offensive "weapons" at the wr position. And well if Reid has his way this is the guy we just might take. He would be polished into Runyans' replacement or the replacement for Tra Thomas. He is large, has a huge wingspan, mobile, and can play both tackle or guard. Reid loves guys' that can be versatile. Also with better protection McNabb would have more time to sit back in the pocket and let the receivers routes develop and get open. Also I wouldn't mind seeing what Westbrook could do behind a Ravens like line. Be introduced to....... Carl Nicks OT out of Nebraska.

Hey if you go off just pure stats then this guy might not be much to look at. But look at what he did his final games at San Diego State. We all know how the eagles like to draft in the late rounds. This guy could be the wr steal of the draft if he stays around the 5th or 6th round. He's tall, physical, fast, and has some elusive ability. He definetely can get up there and go after the ball and could very well be a deep threat and a for sure red zone threat. I like this guy as 5th or 6th rounder but I still want to take Devin Thomas at the 19th pick.

Tommy Z... I watched him a lot his last 3 seasons at Notre Dame. He is amazing and shows a lot of potential. Under JJ and Dawkins he could really develop into something special and he is a returner!!!!

Well now that over 100 people have blogged and let us know that Larry won't be coming to Philly let's take a look at the draft.

Positions in need.

SS/OT/G/WR/KR/PR

Well weapon x is gonna have to be replaced at some point. I know we will never be able to replace a guy like Dawkins but we have to plan for his successor. There is a guy in the draft that could be that. Tommy Zibakowski. He's very physical and smart. He knows how to read defenses and he is fast and would fit in the JJ scheme and he hits like a hammer. He can also return kicks and punts. If we can get him in the 2nd or 3rd round he would be a great pick up for us since he would be able to have a year or two to learn under Dawkins and still contribute on special teams.

We all know that there is a need for wr on our team. Although I believe that out of all of our wr that Avant will emerge as the best one. But we do need to draft a wr this year that has some size and can be a red zone threat and be able to stretch the field. Some in mind are Malcolm Kelly although he will probably be gone by the time we pick. Limus Sweed who has been somewhat quiet his last year at Texas and in the combine. He has always wanted to be like Roy Williams and at 6'5'' and his catching ability he could be a steal at the 19th pick. If we can't get Sweed then Hardy becomes a real possibility.

Now I haven't really kept up on what offensive linemen there are in this years draft other than Jake Long. But I agree we do need to plan for Runyan and Thomas leaving soon due to retirement. But I believe this position is a position we can look at next off season and don't really see it as a need this off season.

If we want just a special teams player and thats all. A Devin Hester type returner then why not DeSean Jackson? Lets face it with his size he never really is going to be much of a threat as a receiver. But that guy can move. But lets not forget about the Crimsons Tides D.J. Hall. He would make a great returner in the NFL.

Now this is just a scenario. The New England Patriots don't like to play young players. They don't even like to play rookies. If we offer them Lito Sheppard and our 2nd round pick for their 7th overall pick and they take it, we could very easily draft Dominique Rogers-Cromartie at 7th overall. He could with his athletic ability rotate in and out with Sheldon Brown and could be an incredible threat in the return game. I understand that he is a little undersized and would need to put on a little weight in muscle growth to play as a physical corner. But that guy has an incredible amount of potential. We then would be saving our 19th pick and could easily take Sweed or Hardy in that spot of the draft. Then we could fill the rest of our needs in the 3rd and 4th rounds. Why do I suggest that? Well we just took their best corner. Possibly the best corner in all of football next to Champ Bailey. And they lost their other corner via free agency. Lito would fit in well in New England and let's face it. I don't believe Lito is gonna give it his all since we just took his starting position and gave it to Asante. If it's true that he is unhappy with his current contract then he is going to be even more unhappy with the deal we just gave Asante. So I would rather trade Lito than have potential locker room disruption. We don't need another guy going around shooting off his mouth about how they are unhappy with how the eagles do business. Nor do we need a guy fighting with a fellow team-mate. Not saying Lito is like that or he isn't a class act guy, but I would rather see the front office make a deal to move him out of the organization before a problem could erupt. So trading him to New England is a very good possibility.

I hope we can bring in some guys in this years draft that can be immediate contributers to the team and their success in the upcoming season. I hope that if we do draft a receiver we don't get another Freddie Mitchell. If we don't I am confident that with a healthy team and a successful training/mini camp and preseason that our current receiver can step up their game. We all know that Curtis is a gamer. But Brown or Avant have to step up their game. More so Brown than Avant for the fact that Avant really impressed the coaches, front office, and fans with his play when he did come in and play last year. Avant has potential and the coaches, team, and McNabb need to push him to reach it. As for Brown we all know that the ability and the potential is there he just needs to get on the field and catch the balls that come his way and be aggressive down the stretch. He needs to put his heart into every play I don't think he did that last year. I think he is the type of guy that can see when the team has a chance to win something or go somewhere that he will play to his fullest ability but when something is out of reach he is just on the field trying to finish a play.

I just want our team to get to Tampa this year and I think we have a better chance of doing so than many people will give the eagles credit for. We have talent on this team and we have winning experience and we have guys that are hungry to get back on top. This year is going to be different and the cowboys aren't going to know what hit them this year. Besides we just let them borrow the top seed in the division and it's time to take it back.

Well Eagle fans I have done a lot of fishing on the net trying to get the latest news on Lito and Larry. And the only real conclusion I have come to is the deal just may not happen. It appears the Cards are asking too much and Larry is showing little interest in coming to the Birds. We have all defended McNabb when he got us to 4 NFC title games in a row without a #1. Does anyone think he can do it again now that we do have a real threat in Bwest?? We have without question the best defense in the league. If we cant make the deal with the Cards happen would anyone object if we could trade Lito for Deangelo Hall and their second round pick? Or trade Lito to the Chiefs (who are in desperate need of corners) for their 5th overall pick? We could even trade Lito to the Pats for their 7th overall pick. Would it be so bad to draft Chris Long if we can? Or a Malcom Kelly or Limus Sweed? I Know you're all saying their rookies and they can't make an impact RIGHT now. What if they did like Calvin Johnson did? Even Larry made an impact right away. Plus we would have dmac throwing the ball to them. And yes I know Chris Long is DE but wouldnt you all say he is THE DE. And Clemons would be a great guy to rotate in and out with Long and to bring him along into the NFL and yes I know Clemons is no Howie but Howie would be there to help out his son. I would love to be able to get Larry or Roy. But the longer this fiasco goes on the slimmer the chances it seems. And Chad Johnson is great but I really dont want to see another drama show in the WR corps on our team. Personally if a deal were to get done for a #1 WR I would rather see the birds go after Gregg Jennings. The guy is a ClASS ACT guy all he wants to do is win and he has one of the most incredible work ethics you will find and he never ever opens his mouth. He is big, fast and has great hands. I'm sure the packers would take Lito and a 2nd rounder for him. Or maybe Reggie a 2nd and 3rd rounder. That is the guy that is on my wish list for the birds to bring in. But this is just an article posted by a frustrated birds fan that all he wants is to see his team return to bowl form and win this time and not get spygated. There are no links for this article and this is not a post to start any rumors just my personnel opinion I want to get out in blog world thank you for reading and please comment on what you all think.

OK Eagle fans check this out. There has been plenty of rumors flying around the league about the Eagles'. Here are some facts that we know of right now. We have no doubt in my mind that we now have the leagues best defense on paper, only time will tell if it really is the best on the field but I have faith that it will. Moss is going to hold out in Free Agency as long as possible until that big money contract comes around that is attached with a team that has a solid chance of winning the super-bowl. The Eagles do not have the cap space to sign Moss and lets face it you cant build a team around a guy who is over the age of 30. Larry Fitzgerald seems happy in Arizona and says we are not a play off team. Everyday it seems that the possibility of Larry in Philly is slimmer and slimmer. If the Eagles' wanted him the Front Office would have gotten the deal done by now. Bernard Berrian and Donte' Stallworth have both found new homes. So what does that leave u with? Well the only real viable option left is D.J. Hackett. He is fast and tall and could develop into the red-zone threat we so desperately need. The other option is could we possibly see a re-shaping of the philosophy of the offense and the re-building stage of our team while still maintaining the team as a super-bowl contender? Lets look at was happened so far. We signed 26 year old Asante Samuel. Signed 27 year old Chris Clemons. And we could possibly be trading Lito for the #7 overall pick in the draft. Which we could use to draft Limus Sweed or Jeff Hardy. I would go with Sweed as he has a better college career. With last years drafting of Kolb it's very possible we are taking the Packers approach to replacing Mcnabb when he is ready to go. Bring a young good qb in let McNabb "mentor" him and develop him into a starter while at the same time bring in young quality players who will be impact players and already have a good relationship developed with those young players. As far as the philosophy of the offense goes we have been running the same philosophy for the last decade. Our division rivals have already figured out what we are going to do and how we are going to do it on any down situation. So why do what every team thinks we are going to do by signing an expensive deep threat and red zone threat? Look at what we have. Westbrook, McNabb, Smith, Celek, Curtis, Brown, and Avant. Why not change the direction of the offense and fine tune it to the playing styles of the players we do have and make them impact players through the success of the system? Westbrook is a beast and nobody in the league or fan can say he isn't. The focus could be on making Westbrook the workhouse and using him for swing passes and screens while using our recievers in a more true version of the west coast offense, which everybody knows a true west coast offense isn't geared around a tall, physical, and fast receiver going down the field. It's geared around speed and deception and having a great running back. And with the Front Office gearing up the defense we can now stop any offense in the league no matter how potent it is or style they play in. So as long as our defense can pull out the stops and make turnovers happen the defense will be able to give the offense plenty of scoring chances. The Eagles Front Office has prided themselves on keeping at a minimum of 10 million dollars in cap space every season. That is why the Eagles have no problem going after players they need or want and never have to worry about cap space problems when it comes to re-signing current players. And remember in 2004 T.O. only played nine games and we won throughout the playoffs without that big receiver. I say sign Hackett and draft a SS in the draft to begin the plan to replace Dawkins. Nobody can truly replace Dawkins but he can't play forever. We could draft Zibakowski who was also an outstanding return man for the Irish and he hits like a brick moving 100 mph. He could be a very good replacement for Dawkins and he can play both SS and FS and be a solid return man. So Eagle fans here is the last the fact that we know about the Front Office.... They are CHEAP!!! The last time they went out and got the #1 receiver we all wanted we got the mentally f***ed child like Terrell Owens. Let's hope we never make that mistake again.

Well this is all just speculation off of what I have seen from the Eagles' moves this free agency period and from the rumors that are out there and the facts that we all know as of right now. I as a Eagle fan do hope that we get a Larry Fitzgerald, but we all know from past experiences that he might not happen.

Well first off I will say that as an eagles fan I can't say I haven't criticized McNabb. What eagles fan hasn't when they see their star qb on the sideline with injuries and you start thinking that our dream of a superbowl was possibly cheated out of us against the patriots. I agree that McNabb should be in philly. That he is the qb to lead us to the top and he is the reason why the TEAM is so successful. He IS the leader of that offense and they respond to him when he is in there. They play better as a cohesive unit when he is healthy and doing McNabb type things in the pocket or running around like a wild man. We all saw and loved the potential of McNabb's big arm with the "wr" that we had when he had our superbowl run. I think that with the addition of a big play wr like Roy Williams we can be back to that form especially with a healthy McNabb. Also can we please rise up and stand up for the qb that we boo'd when he was drafted. It's obvious he was the right choice for the team and the city. We couldnt ask for a guy who has better class, the motivation to help the city and kids, and natural talent with the dedication to make himself better for this city, franchise, and team mates. I have faith that after pre-season the Eagles will be regarded as back to elite form and a definite sb contender this year. And why are we not right now? The G-men (congrats to the Giants) have just won the super bowl. They are in our division. They beat the supposed unbeatable Patriots and made "Mr. Cool" look like a blumbering idiot and made the "MasterMind" coach run off the field before the game was over. We almost beat that same team with our back up qb. Why aren't people saying hey; the nfc east just may be the toughest division in not only the nfc but in the nfl itself. I mean the last few seasons we have had 3 of our 4 teams in that division in the playoffs. The Eagles have only missed the playoffs twice this decade. With a healthy McNabb and the willingness to go get playmakers and spend money. We are as good as any team on the early list to win in tampa next year. We are as good if not better than the chargers, patriots, colts, giants, cowboys, and packers. Lets quit blaming our players and coaches, this year is over. Lets have a great off season and prepare for Tampa. Lets get a championship for Philly, Ried, and McNabb. Lets call ourselves champions. E-A-G-L-E-S EAGLES EAGLES EAGLES !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!1