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Keeping An Eye On NFC In This Off-Season February 22, 2005
As we all watch what the Eagles' actions are in the pending free agency period, it's also of utmost importance that we keep an eye on the rest of the NFC East and, for that matter, the entire Conference.
Teams are in catch-up mode with regards to the Eagles and, as they say, it's a lot easier to reach the top than it is to stay on top.
What's happening around the NFC? Here are some news flashes.
Washington And Coles: What Will Happen?
It's clear that something is amiss in the world of the Washington Redskins and wide receiver Laveranues Coles. Are they trading him? Are they releasing him? Has the onslaught of media attention changed the plans in Washington?
It's clear that the Redskins are strapped as far as the salary cap goes. All of those years of spending lavishly in free agency are, apparently, forcing Washington to change its tact a bit in this off-season.
The guess here is that Coles will be released and then sign with another team. What do we know about him? Well, he's an extremely talented player who does a variety of things well on the field. He's also got a toe injury that you have to wonder about.
And he has a huge price tag. Coles reportedly initiated all of this talk by complaining about the Redskins offense and indicating that he wanted out of Washington. That Washington would even think of moving a player so good speaks to its interest in retaining some kind of fiscal sanity, even if it's two or three seasons too late.
Then there is the Rod Garnder issue. Is he out of Washington's plans, too?
Head coach Joe Gibbs looked weary on television the other night talking about the Coles situation. These are not the same days as when Gibbs ruled Washington with an iron fist and his teams played great football. There are many other complications, and Gibbs looks like he's tiring of the challenge.
Drew Bledsoe In Dallas: Really?
The first thing that struck me when reading reports about the Cowboys' apparent interest in Drew Bledsoe was this: Isn't Drew Henson supposed to be The Answer in Dallas?
I understand the need to give Henson more time to prepare himself for the NFL after three years away from the game. But it is a bit surprising that the Cowboys wouldn't at least get the kid some game action, that they wouldn't give him a shot to win the starting job in the preseason.
My read is this: Bill Parcells has one more year, maybe two, remaining as the Cowboys' head coach. That's my guess, and I'm sticking to it.
Out West: Seattle Making Plans
OK, so the Seahawks did the most sensible thing they could faced with a glut of free agents about to hit the market: They spent wildly. They retained premier left tackle Walter Jones with a whopping seven-year contract. They signed quarterback Matt Hasselbeck to a long-term deal. They are reportedly going to use the franchise tag on running back Shaun Alexander.
Faced with so many decisions, the Seahawks did the right thing. They locked up their three best players. Now, Seattle will lose a bunch of key players in free agency. The Seahawks still have 13 players who will become free agents next week.
But what can you do? You don't let a franchise left tackle and your starting quarterback walk. You also have to make a tough decision on a player like Alexander, who, despite what his critics say, has been extremely productive in his NFL career.
The writing here says that Seattle will have a tough time contending next season. The Seahawks will suffer a tremendous talent loss this off-season. But there is a sense that Seattle will rebuild around the talented trio offensively, and that with Tim Ruskell now in charge of personnel, they will look to build back via the draft.
What Impact Will The Titans' Moves Have Here?
When you suddenly release the likes of Derrick Mason and Samari Rolle and a bunch of pretty darn good players on the market, you create a good buyer's market. You create more opportunity for teams with lesser dollars and you make the overall price of players go down in free agency.
From that perspective, then, the Eagles have more chances to add good players, if they wish. At the same time, it gives every team an opportunity to sign more good players. The Eagles, with a decent amount of salary cap space, lose the advantage of having more cap room with a glut of good players on the market.
Ultimately, of course, we'll see how it impacts the Eagles. They have not said a peep about their free agency plans. We'll find out in one week, won't we?
Do The Vikings Step Up, Or Do They Step Back?
When Jeffrey Lurie bought the Eagles in 1994, he watched as Rich Kotite roared out of the gates with a 7-2 record and then doomed himself with his famous midseason line about evaluating his future after the season was over.
We all can laugh about it now.
Back then, the impact of a new boss was very much on everybody's minds. Does the boss like us? Does he have his own people to bring in and replace us? What does he even know about my job?
In Minnesota, they have a man named Reggie Fowler on his way to being named the new owner. He will take over a franchise that has been strong on the field in the last year, and one that has a good thing going.
But change means uneasiness. How do you think Mike Tice feels right now? Do the Vikings act aggressively in free agency? Do they lay back and see what the new boss wants to do after he takes control?
There will be a transition period. There has to be. The Vikings, who will not trade Randy Moss unless a team out there is absolutely convinced he is the missing piece, have the ability to contend for the Super Bowl next season or fall far out of the picture.
What Is Going On With The Giants?
All is quiet in the land of the Giants. But the big off-season question there is the player-head coach relationship. Has Tom Coughlin gained the like and trust and respect of his team after one season at the helm? We'll find out.
The Giants are going to stick with Eli Manning at quarterback, obviously, and they'll hope he shows significant improvement over his rookie season. New York does not have a first-round draft pick, so the Giants will have to be very, very efficient next year to get in the NFC East race.
Arizona: A Sleeper Team In Conference
I know the Cardinals have to get a quarterback -- Kurt Warner? Jeff Garcia? Somebody? -- but they also have a good nucleus of young players and a very strong defense.
And if the Cardinals can pull off the trade that is being thrown around out there -- offensive tackle L.J. Shelton for running back Travis Henry -- they'll be scary.
If they can bring Henry to the table, they'll have a fine running back, two outstanding young wide receivers, a decent offensive line, the defense and a shot to be a playoff team.
Don't count this team out. The Cardinals are coming.
Eagles Information: Anything?
I can truly tell you ... no. Very quiet. Nobody is saying anything. The Eagles send their Scouting Combine contingent out to Indianapolis on Thursday night and then they return and free agency starts on March 2.
It's coming, so be prepared. The Eagles are going to make moves. They have their own players to sign and they have free agents to acquire.
Who they are and how the Eagles will get them, I have no idea. I'm just as excited as you are to get it started.
Westbrook ... Wayne ... Eagles Making Moves February 24, 2005
The Eagles did the expected and tendered a contract offer to Brian Westbrook, protecting him against another team's intentions.
The Eagles also did the expected and released Nate Wayne, a veteran linebacker with a big ticket who was not very much in the plans at the end of the 2004 season.
What's next? That's the big question. That's what nobody knows.
But how how will these moves they've already made impact what they plan to do down the line? Let's take a look.
Westbrook Tender: Is He Here To Stay?
Right now, the answer is yes. The Eagles tendered Westbrook at the mid-level amount. They could have taken it a step beyond and tendered him at $1.9 million, but those those the middle ground.
What it means is this: Any team that wants to sign Westbrook to a contract offer can do so and then would have to wait seven days for the Eagles to match the deal. Should the Eagles match the deal, Westbrook would be an Eagle for however long the contract stipulates.
The Eagles would like to keep Westbrook
Should the Eagles not match that contract offer sheet, they would receive a first-round draft pick from the team that signed Westbrook.
Is it a risky proposition? The Eagles think they've done the right thing. They think they've made it difficult for another team to sign Westbrook, at the risk of losing a first-round draft pick. They think, too, that having the right of first refusal gives them considerable leverage should, in fact, Westbrook sign an offer sheet elsewhere.
The big picture, of course, is whether Westbrook will be here for years to come. That's hard to answer right now. The Eagles would love to keep him here. He would love to stay here. It's all about a negotiation now.
Should things go according to plan, the Eagles will have Westbrook for 2005 and will try to sign him for the long term at some point between now and the end of the season.
They recognize his value as a dynamic back who is a big-play maker and a tremendous receiver out of the backfield. Keeping him for the long term would be a huge plus for this offense.
But that's down the line. That's a negotiation issue. That's Joe Banner and Westbrook's agent coming to a common ground.
For the immediate future, the Eagles have protected themselves with Westbrook.
Nate Wayne And His Departure
Wayne is a smart man and he knew, going toward the end of the season, what the deal was. He wanted to win a Super Bowl and then move on.
"That's my focus," he said late in the season. "I'm not worrying about anything other than that."
Wayne, plagued by a hamstring injury after having a terrific preseason, never regained his starting job after the hammy healed. Now that he's gone, well, the true question is this: Who is the starter at the WILL position?
Mark Simoneau has the inside track at the moment. Keith Adams is scheduled to be an unrestricted free agent at 12:01 a.m. Wednesday. Ike Reese is, too.
Simoneau and Jason Short are the only players with WILL experience under contract on the roster.
What does that mean? It means it is very likely the Eagles will either A) Keep Adams and allow him to compete with Simoneau for the starting job;
Keep Reese and allow him to compete with Simoneau for the starting job; C) Keep both Adams and Reese and make it a three-way competition for the starting job; D) Allow both Adams and Reese to leave in free agency and turn the job over to Simoneau; E) Allow both Adams and Reese to leave in free agency and sign a veteran in free agency to compete with Simoneau or; F) Allow both Adams and Reese to leave in free agency and draft a linebacker to compete with Simoneau for the starting job in 2005.
Bottom line? A lot of things can happen at that position.
Anything Else Out There Impacting The Eagles?
Yeah, sure. Drew Bledsoe is the starting quarterback in Dallas. He's a strong-armed veteran player who doesn't have mobility. Is he an upgrade over Vinny Testaverde? We'll see.
Oh, and Randy Moss is out of the NFC. He's a difference-making wide receiver. He goes to Oakland -- officially announced next week --and the Vikings will have trouble replacing his on-field productiion.
Certainly, the trade shows that the Vikings just couldn't put up with Moss any longer. There must be some great stories behind the scenes. The public knowledge of Moss' problems are enough to make you understand why they would want to get rid of him, so imagine the real behind-the-scenes stories.
Minnesota has a lot of cap room, two first-round draft picks and a good talent in linebacker Napoleon Harris. Judging the trade of Moss is not fair at this point. Let's see what the Vikings look like in September before we make judgments.
Oakland, which visits Lincoln Financial Field this season, will have some power on offense with Jerry Porter and Moss at wide receiver and, maybe, Lamont Jordan at running back. The offensive line needs to be good. That defense is not good, but the Raiders will be entertaining.
Anything Else Happening At The NovaCare Complex?
Nah. The personnel people and coaching staff are in Indianapolis at the Scouting Combine. It's that time of the year.
I know nothing. I know nothing. I want to know something....