Eagles: Give Us Your Disgruntled
Philadelphia Inquirer Sports Columnist Bob Ford writes about the Eagles, the Phillies, the Sixers and the Flyers.
Eagles: Give Us Your Disgruntled
Bob Ford, Inquirer Sports Columnist
Why is it that the Eagles seem to have no problem making players happy who are dissatisfied with their contracts or looking to better their situations as long as they are on someone else's team.
In getting New England cornerback Ellis Hobbs (left) on Sunday, a solid and understandable acquisition, the Eagles sent a message to Sheldon Brown that he might be on the way out for the sin of wanting to have his contract redone.
Now, with four years remaining and very little leverage, Brown may have spoken and acted out of anger rather than reason, but he was being honest.
Just as honest it turns out as Hobbs was being with New England when he said he wanted his contract improved. Hobbs may have a better case since there is only one year remaining on his contract, but nevertheless he spoke his mind, too.
The same goes for tackle Jason Peters in Buffalo, and for fullback Leonard Weaver in Seattle. The Eagles gobbled them up with the same speed that, in the past, they have dismissed their own disgruntled players.
The long list includes Derrick Burgess, Lito Sheppard, Corey Simon and Michael Lewis recently, and stretches back for as long as Andy Reid and Joe Banner have been doing the contact-and-contract work for the Eagles.
It just seems odd. The Eagles don't mind players who are offended by the business side of the game. They just don't like players who are offended at them.
bobbyuk's blog was better than the article. Good work bob: just the facts sir.— Flyboy24
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That whapping sound you hear is the door hitting Sheldon on the way out.— tdcuse- Sheldon is one of the most accessible players to the media; he makes their jobs easier by providing good quotes, doing interviews, etc. Its no surprise they'd rally to his defense when he starts making demands, because if he leaves their work gets harder. Reporters are only human.— tagryn
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- it IS insulting that the Eagles pay their nickel cornerback about double what their starting cornerback is going to get this year though.— yantastic
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- Maybe it's because Job One of being an Eagle is keeping your mouth shut, the slightest sign of disloyalty earns ou a ticket out, especially if they want an excuse to dump your salary. Same reason so few players retire as an Eagle under this regime. Can't imagine what it would be like to live with such a rigid guy.— atp2007
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- Amen to that IVUSDR. Hobbs is younger, more athletic, has 1 yr left on his deal and is a KR. Not only that, he will probably be our starting RCB by the end of the bye week! Eagles sign players based on when their contract is expiring. There is no such thing as payment for PAST performance in the NFL.— Joyner80
- I have to go with bobbyuk's comment. Your lumping together disparate situations. The Eagles clearly make these assessments on a case-by-case basis and it appears they don't believe Sheldon is worthy of having his contract changed. I happen to agree with them.— Grover
- Bob, I must say that this is a very poor post by you. I can't believe that you are making the comparison of these situations as they are all totally different circumstances.— m23haz
- As it already has been said....this is not one of your brightest spins Mr Ford. Frankly I think the Eagles FO has been doing a good job. They stand up to demands which are not reasonable and seem to bend with reasonable demands.If you are at the end of your career and want one more last bonus this is the wrong organisation to try and wring it out of. If you have some future to offer you will be listened to. A long time ago a player named Reggie White stripped away my loyalty to individual players. I agree there is a difference between owners and players. I just do not know which ones are greedier. In all honesty I do feel that in Philadelphia the owner tries to deliver an honest product for our money and that most of the players are happy to be carrying our hopes for a reasonable fee. Then there are a few T.O.'s out there. I do not cry for them.— morituri
- This article is pointless. The team with the disgruntled players has an emotional connection with that player and other teams don't. That's why they only look at the player's abilities, not their potential locker room issues. Just goes to show you how bad TO was when he left the Eagles. Dallas was the only team who would give him a chance. Besides, the contracts of players that the teams bring in are contracts signed with the other team, not arranged by the Eagles. There's a huge difference. It makes sense to create your own contract for your new employees rather than keep a contract from a previous employer.— awl
- Did you notice that the long list of Eagles mentioned includes Derrick Burgess, Lito Sheppard, Corey Simon and Michael Lewis. With the exception of Burgess, what all these players have in common is they proved that they actually weren't worth the money. This is how the business side is played. Eagles Mgt. has to decide whether a player is worth the money or not. Last year they decided Westbrook was worth it and he got paid! It's not like Sheldon is coming off consecutive pro bowl appearances or is a feared playmaking DB in this league. Sheldon is a solid player who is getting paid like one. He's not the playmaker Asante is and therefore will never see that kind of money from any team. Everyone works with people that make more money than you, it's when you can't justify it that makes you want to complain or move on. Sheldon, show us the stats that make you justify your complaint??? You're average of 2 INTs a year including only 1 last season for a starting corner in a pass happy league is average at best.— Philly Dom
