Brian Dawkins, 1996-2009
An era ends with the departure of Brian Dawkins.
Brian Dawkins, 1996-2009
Rich Hofmann, Daily News Sports Columnist
(UPDATED with this contract observation: Reports are that the Denver deal is for five years but, stripped away, it is two years and $9 million if the Broncos want it that way, or $4.5 million per year. By contrast, Dawkins' cap number last year with the Eagles was reportedly a little bit north of $3.3 million.)
I'm supposed to be on vacation and I will be on vacation, after this.
Brian Dawkins, 1996-2009.
I'm sitting here, thinking about Dawkins in a Denver Broncos uniform. I'm seeing a new coach and a new personnel group working to set a new tone, on the field and off, and understanding why they would be so attracted to Dawkins and his singular personality. I'm seeing Dawkins, prideful, so prideful, working himself into a state that it will be hard to fathom. He talked recently about how Donovan McNabb always played better with a chip on his shoulder and, well, it will be hard to imagine Dawkins' upcoming fury.
How the Eagles allowed this to happen is beyond me. Because, you know, I understand the football part of it completely but it does not trump the rest of it. I understand that they were finding ways to hide Dawkins at times last year, scheming around him. I get that, and get that it was only going to get harder. But Dawkins remained a tangible force around the line of scrimmage. Even if his selection to the Pro Bowl in 2008 smacked of a kind of lifetime-achievement award, even if he was heading toward part-time status within the next year or so, there had to be a way to get this done. They are so far under the NFL's salary cap, tens and tens and tens of millions to the good, that there had to be some way to make a deal.
It was the old Eagles coach from the '60s, Joe Kuharich, who famously said that if you start letting the fans make the decisions for you, soon you'll be sitting with them. It was true then and it is true now. You do not re-sign Dawkins just because he is beloved and because his departure would make people furious -- and it has and it will.
At the same time, there has to be a recognition of the fact that, while Andy Reid and Donovan McNabb are the faces of the franchise, Dawkins has been the heart. It has to be a tiebreaker, if nothing else. No one knows what the Eagles offered but you have to assume they did make an offer -- based upon Reid's stated optimism at re-signing Dawkins, if nothing else. And if they did make an offer, it means they did want him. The fact that Dawkins went to Denver means that the Eagles wanted him, but only on their terms. That just isn't good enough, not for a franchise with so much money it cannot possibly spend it.
Even if Dawkins' only function was to buy you a little more time and seasoning for Quintin Demps, it would have been worth the cash.
Right before the start of the playoffs in January, I wrote this about Eagles fans and their relationship with this special player:
"...When they look at Brian Dawkins, what they see is themselves.
"Thirteen years. It is a long time to be carrying a municipal legacy onto the field every week. It is forever, in many ways - and Dawkins will be a forever kind of player for this franchise, cherished, remembered, all of that, long after the No. 20 is put away.
"Part of it is because he has been so good, a seven-time Pro Bowler, the best safety in the history of the franchise. Part of it is because of how hard he hits people, how he just pulverizes them, even now. Long after the details are forgotten, the visceral remains. You wince when Dawkins really launches himself at somebody. That is what people will always remember - the wince, and then the wow.
"But it is more than that - and, no, not that ridiculous, indescribable routine he goes through when he emerges from the tunnel and goes onto the field. It is simpler than that. It is visible passion, visible to all.
"No Eagles fan can possibly doubt that Dawkins cares more than they do. That's it. That is the connection between a man and a city. That is the bond."
And while I understand that it's a business, a cold business, there always was the hope that it would be different with this team and this guy.
I'm not going to sit here and tell you that they are going to be a lot worse on the field without Brian Dawkins. But the Eagles are going to be lesser.
Dawkins could have signed here if he wanted to. He waited 3 days into FA, got more guaranteed cash than he's worth and signed the deal. Good for him, good for the Eagles. Smart business decision by both sides. Birds will get over this just as we got over losing Taylor/Vincent.— jonnyb0916- Good for Dawk. JimG., you have no idea how NFL contracts work. It's 5 years only for the cap number. Essentially, it is a 2 year deal with about $9M guaranteed. Again - good for Dawk.— Bake McBride
- I am on my third scotch since hearing the news. It is going to be a long, long night for There He Is.— There He Is
- You really can't blame the Eagles on this one. Dawk is no longer the best player on defense at this stage in his career. Denver overpaid for declining player.........bad move on their part.
- Yes it is sad to see such a devoted leader leave our roster but in truth, talent wise, it is time. Too many missed tackles at the end of the season showed that the heart was there but the skills had gone.— sdking1112
- Bill1966: That is a great observation. Much as I will miss Dawk, you are right. In the playoffs, especially a lot of his plays were the result of him flying head first into a guy who was down or on the way down. His play has deteriorated. It is sad to see him go. But we all know this is now the Birds operate. I will, however, be angry if they don't replace him with a young, veteran type (in the 26 to 28 age range) with some upside.— derrickwh
- Eight home-games one mile above sea level? Dwenver recognized they had to change the character of their defense, and who better to lead by example? Bless his Iggles heart, he will be missed by all of us.— TBear
- glack, thanks for straightening out these moronic posts claiming a 5-year contract was too long for Dawk. It's at most a 2-year contract folks, and gives him a more reasonable payday because he was underpaid while in Philly. The real issue is this. Denver's offer amounts to a $1.2 MM increase in his salary per year over what the Eagles offered. This was apparently too rich for a team at ~$45 MM over the salary cap. A cap space so high which even the FO said they could not fully spend. And they couldn't find the extra $1.2 MM to keep Dawk...— hairball
- Without a doubt B-Dawk is my favorite Eagles player of all time -- for all the reasons mentioned on this site and elsewhere. I will miss him in Philly. But in the end the NFL is a business and the Eagles matching the offer from Denver doesn't make good business sense -- not from a team that is going to have to replace some aging players if it is going to remain a viable, competitive franchise in an increasingly competitive division. That will take cash. As much as the fans will pummel the Eagles management and team ownership for letting this happen, this move allows the Eagles to continue to remain a financially profitable enterprise. The folks in Philly bleed Eagles green and despite some who jump ship over this transaction, there will be plenty of fans willing to take their place at the Link this fall. I'll miss B-Dawk, but sadly, it reminds me of how much all professional sports is truly about big business,.— mstraupman
- Oh no. Now they won't win the Super Bowl.— The-Roof-Is-On-Fire
- Denver may have paid too much but what really is too much? The salary cap is almost a non-factor for many teams these days yet the Eagles with pencil pushing Joe Banner act like its 1999. B-Dawk should have never seen free agency if they would have only made a reasonable offer to a guy who gave a home town discount his entire career. You lost your offensive leader in Runyan and now the defensive and team leader in Dawkins. You don't have anyone to take his place and the safety position is very weak in this years draft. Banner the Weasel better step up and improve this team. Sign TJ or Coles and make sure you bring back Thomas. No need to waste a first round pick on an O-Lineman. Draft Pettigew and the best available running back. Do all of that and this team will have a chance to get back to the championship game. Signing a fullback wouldn't hurt either.— ResponsibleAmerican
- Thanks for this Rich. This reminds me of when Reggie left in '93. I feel the same sadness and the same sense of loss. I can't imagine B-Dawk in anything but Eagle green. I can't believe the organization didn't match that (essentially) 2-year deal. It's not like they don't have the money.— kimbafuzz
- I'm not going to bother with whether this is good or bad decision. It's done. I'm sad. Dawk is a hero and I'll miss him.— TGRE
- This is a sad day for Philadelphia sports. How do you let a man that has given his heart and soul to a team for thirteen years and let him walk? Is there any loyalty here? Yes, his skills may have diminished but he left it all on the field. I could care less about losing Sheppard and Considine; but Dawkins? They showed him no love, no counter offers. The FO screwed this one up big time. I am speechless. If the Eagles play the Broncos, I hope Dawkins knocks someone's block off (Banner, Reid, Lurie) I wonder how this will impact JJ. They better get aggressive in the FA market or you thought Philly was a hostile place before wait until the 09 season starts. Bad move on Philly's part. I wish Dawkins and his family the best.— komplex2005
I don't understand how some fans believe we could significantly upgrade the offense without giving up on some of the weapons we already have. It's just too rare an occurrence to have a great offense and defense (and special teams!) and keep it all under the salary cap!— kalina
