Thoughts on Birds, and on T.O.
The Philadelphia Daily News - Eagletarian
Thoughts on Birds, and on T.O.
Les Bowen, Daily News Staff Writer
Like many of you, I was interested in what Andy Reid had to say out in California at the NFL Meetings. Paul Domowitch did a fine job of getting all that on here yesterday.
Domo remains convinced that the Eagles are more worried about the running back position than about their left tackle situation, that they very well might end up with either Todd Herremans or Shawn Andrews moving to left tackle, and feeling fine with that. Domo certainly knows his stuff, and he was out there with the Birds braintrust and I was not, but I really can't see the Andy Reid I know prioritizing running back over left tackle.
End of the day, I think both are needs that ought to be addressed early in the draft.Conventional wisdom holds that it's easier to draft an impact running back than an elite left tackle. I don't know which will be targeted first, but I have a hard time envisioning Herremans or Andrews as the first option for the most important offensive line slot, one of the most important positions on the field.
At the combine last month, I heard Andy's spiel about how Andrews was the best college tackle he'd ever seen. I also know that Andrews didn't show up on time for training camp last year while grappling with depression, didn't play after injuring his back in Week 2, and didn't seem to be champing at the bit to return after surgery. Andrews is an amazing talent, but you're going to trust Donovan McNabb's blindside to this guy?
One of the things that made Tra Thomas valuable for so long was that he studied the guys he was going up against, and took pass protection very, very seriously. He would hold, bite, cut, whatever he had to do to keep his QB safe. Andrews has a different makeup. He's at his best on the run, flattening linebackers ahead of screens. I've never heard him described as a student of the game.
Herremans? More the type of personality you'd trust, but when the center is kidding you about how short your arms 
are, you're probably not a potential Pro Bowl tackle. I really think there's a significant move to be made here, either a first-day draft pick or the much-discussed trade for Buffalo's Jason Peters, which you'll recall we brought up a few weeks ago, after hearing John Clayton refer to Eagles interest.
Speaking of Buffalo, our old friend Terrell Owens has decreed that he only needs to show up for mandatory actvities. That's probably true, contractually. But have you ever heard of a receiver coming to a new team who didn't want to get as much work in with his new quarterback as possible? This was not Terrell's attitude 5 years ago when he arrived in sunny Philadelphia, and I'm pretty sure it wasn't how he approached Dallas in 2006. Good luck to Dick Jauron and Trent Edwards; they're going to need it.
I'm thinking maybe Terrell only wants to attend OTAs in which there is no possibilty of snow in Buffalo. In that case, he won't meet his new teammates until training camp.
Finally, the intrepid Sheil Kapadia at Moving the Chains on this site was very thorough in his treatment of the amazing Ryan Moats story, which for once does not involve the former Eagles running back forgetting his assignment or fumbling. This time, Moats, now a Houston Texan, was an apparently innocent victim of an overzealous (and perhaps racially profiling) Dallas cop. Moats was trying to get to a hospital where his wife's mother was dying. Thankfully, it seems the Dallas police are taking the situation seriously.
I'm pretty sure the brain trust in Buffalo knew what they were doing....announcing to the future free agents that they are willing to spend some bucks, and hoping to God TO doesn't r make them a laughingstock instead. Sorry, but I'm already laughing. And as for poor Ryan Moats, I think his wife is lucky she didn't get shot in the back by that racist cop when she ran for the hospital instead of submit to his abuse. (And I'm a 'law and order' guy!)— TBear
Comment removed.- Dierte, that's great and all but that's only 25% of what T.O. is all about. He will be a grenade in Buffalo's locker room before the end of the season. Prepare for the mangled bodies that he leaves in his wake.
- TO will be fine...One year always works for him...and he does keep himself in great shape.....Let it go folks it is long over....as to Moats...the cop was too into himself and used poor jsudgement....and an offensive tackle will be the highest pick...count on it— nuggett
- To call TO a cancer is an insult to cancer. I believe I could defend cancer in a court of law, TO on the other hand...— kenkane
- Comment removed.
- T.O. is going to be how he is........ who cares— short757
- TO was in DC receiving a award for his chairty works for Alzheimer.— Clarkeisgod
- Hey P-Diddy. I want to know if King Dunlap can play as well.— Chuckle Berry
- Now I understand the discipline of journalism. Write down to your subscribers to provoke comments regardless of the degree of absurdity. To correlate an illness to a player's play is rather mentally deficient, don't you agree. It shows your ignorance and unappreciated regard about certain illnesses. His condition wasn't criminal and perhaps you would have preferred it being drugs or weapons. Why act so ignorant? Maybe they chose you for these type of articles to relate to the other morons who subscribed to your mentality. Short arms - just what kind of evaluations you make from a human resource perspective?— aden
- Now I understand the discipline of journalism. Write down to your subscribers to provoke comments regardless of the degree of absurdity. To correlate an illness to a player's play is rather mentally deficient, don't you agree. It shows your ignorance and unappreciated regard about certain illnesses. His condition wasn't criminal and perhaps you would have preferred it being drugs or weapons. Why act so ignorant? Maybe they chose you for these type of articles to relate to the other morons who subscribed to your mentality. Short arms - just what kind of evaluations you make from a human resource perspective?— aden
- Isn't Stacy Andrews the Eagle's biggest offseason move? Why is he not discussed... presumed dead?— iggles48
- Isn't Stacy Andrews the Eagle's biggest offseason move? Why is he not discussed... presumed dead?— iggles48
- If TO goes to Buffalo look for Jason Peters to want out even more. All the more reason for the Birds to make a good offer to lock in a Pro Bowl LT.Problem solved. Now go and get some serious weapons to compliment Donovan and Brian and get a stud RB and TE.— MJPD345
- First of all, why do Eagles players suddenly become "great" when they leave? Everyone's been talking for a couple of years about replacing Tra Thomas and how he's getting old. He finally leaves and suddenly some people are acting like the Eagles will be playing with 4 lineman and a vacant LT position. Given the fact that no one else in the NFL wanted Thomas except the Jags, that should tell you how irreplacable he is. It's very, very rare to draft a LT who can start immediately and perform at a high level. So if the Eagles draft a tackle, it will be most likely to groom him and give them depth. The only starting LT they will be able to pull out of this thing is Jason Peter via a trade. They could trade their way into the Top 5 picks but don't see that happening. So they might draft a tackle in the first round, but don't see it as a must-have thing. If they can't trade for Peters, I can see them signing a vet after the draft for depth and insurance at LT. To me, RB is a must-have in the 1st round. There's really no one else out there that they can get at RB to come in and contribute right away. Duece McAllister must not be healthy because he would have been a great compliment to Westbrook if he was.— JimG
