The Plug-n-Play system needs upgrading

December 8, 2005 | By Dennis Bakay | Discuss

Jeffrey Lurie recently sounded off again and he wasn’t talking about the Eagles as the gold standard of the NFL this time. Recently Lurie was asked at a discussion at the Hyatt Regency about the T-word, and no we aren’t talking about exotic dancers, but rather an exotic, controversial receiver named Terrell Owens. Lurie responded, “we are an organization thatís been willing to take risks and gamble. This was a two-year gamble. The first year of the gamble was extremely successful. The second year was extremely disruptive.” This was an admission of the main things wrong with this organization.

They wanted to get two years out of him, then let him go expecting to replace him with a younger player currently on their roster. Letís make no mistake about it, the Eagles were probably done before the season began. The numbers don’t lie; 39 Super Bowls, of the 39 losers only one went back to win it. And, the past four Super Bowl losers went on to post losing records the following season. It doesn’t help that the Eagles plug-n-play philosophy saw them lose Derrick Burgess, Corey Simon, and Ike Reese. Added to that, they failed to replace J.R. Reed, find an adequate complement to Brian Westbrook, address the banged up offensive line, or upgrade the linebacker corps. They expected to merely plug-n-play. Now, this will work when you have more experienced back-ups, or talented back-ups, which the Eagles most certainly don’t possess.

All of us have or know someone who worked or works for a company that lets talented people walk out the door time after time again, all in the name of fiscal “sanity” Or, some of us who aren’t company men call them, just damn cheap. It’s a shame but the Eagles fit the bill there. Sure, they signed John Runyan, Jevon Kearse, and a few other free agents, but they are few and far between. The Eagles we’ve come to...well criticize have exercised perhaps too much financial jurisprudence. The brain trust’s raison detre for this practice is to keep the team competitive over several years. This is a good philosophy. However, there is a second part to that equation; you need valuable back-ups. To take it a step further, you had better make quality selections in the first three rounds. Aside from their banner draft year of 2002 in which they selected three pro bowlers and arguably a fourth last season in Sheldon Brown, they have struck out on a litany of picks; see Freddie Mitchell (1st round 2001), Quinton Caver (2nd round 2001), Jerome McDougle (1st round 2003), Billy McMullen (3rd round 2003), Matt McCoy (2nd round 2005). The jury is still out on Matt Ware (3rd round 2004), Ryan Moats (3rd round 2005), and L.J. Smith (2nd round 2003). Sure they make a lot of good picks in later rounds, but the majority of star players are chosen on the first day. These lackluster high-round selections are coming home to roost.

The first order of business for this team would be to tank it this season and shoot for a top 5 draft choice, and they had better get it right. This is a team that is decimated on the offensive and defensive lines; the linebackers save Jeremiah Trotter are abysmal; the special teams are in shambles; and I didnít get to the bevy of low-rent receivers they thought they could pass off as viable replacements for Pinkston and T.O. Reggie Brown looks like he can be a player, but we all remember what happened to Chris T. Jones after a promising start to his career. Provided the Eagles get a coveted top-5 draft choice they’ll have their choice of dominant pass rushing ends Mario Williams (DE North Carolina State) and Mathias Kiwunuka (DE Boston College); the mammoth tackle Haloti Ngata (Oregon); the ball-hawking linebacker from Ohio State in A.J. Hawk (great name for the Lombardy Award winner); or even franchise left tackle D’Brickashaw Ferguson. The Eagles’ needs lie at defensive tackle, linebacker, offensive line, linebacker, and receiver. They have money on their side. With Owens’ money, they can delegate that to Javon Walker. If I were Reid or Tom Heckert I’d be on the phone with Walker’s new agent once he is hired (he recently fired Drew Rosenhaus). The Eagles need a front-line receiver despite the so-called experts’ argument about the Patriots doing it without a number one. The difference is the Patriots did it with three number two receivers. Oh yeah, they also had a great coach, quarterback, offensive line, defensive line, special teams, and coaching staff. That always helps. The Eagles are good and not great, and they need to think that way. The Plug-n-Play philosophy needs serious retooling, as this isn’t a typical computer problem, it’s a full-blown nightmare of a franchise. Their words have begun to ring hollow for obvious reasons. Greatness isn’t earned behind the desk or in front of the microphone.