Eagles trade Andrews and make final cuts
The Philadelphia Inquirer Blog - Eagles
Eagles trade Andrews and make final cuts
Jeff McLane, Inquirer Staff Writer
The Eagles have traded guard Stacy Andrews to the Seattle Seahawks, the Eagles announced Saturday. The team received a 2011 seventh-round draft pick from Seattle, according to a league source.
"I think Stacy feels more comfortable at the tackle spot, and he's voiced that," Eagles general manager Howie Roseman said. "We feel that with the addition of Reggie Wells and the health of our offensive line we feel comfortable at the guard position. We think it was a good fit on both sides."
Andrews said, by phone, that he'll compete for the right tackle job with the Seahawks. He said that when he restructured his deal with the Eagles during the off-season that Roseman said he would be the starter at right guard. Roseman said that the he said he would have the opportunity to "compete" for the job.
"It's a business, that's the way I look at it," Andrews said. "I understand that it isn't personal and that the Eagles just wanted to go in another direction."
Andrews did intimate that he thought the ill-will born from his brother Shawn's situation with the organization spilled over onto his plate. Andrews' agent, Rich Moran, said that he wasn't disappointed that things didn't work out between the Eagles and his two clients.
"I think that what happened with Stacy had a lot to do with what happened with Shawn," Moran said. "He was playing his brother's position. If Stacy knew that he was being signed to play guard he would have never signed."
Roseman said that Nick Cole is now the starter at right guard. The Eagles also traded for Wells on Friday, surrendering a 2011 seventh-round pick to Arizona.
The Andrews deal went through three minutes past a 6 p.m. deadline, according to Roseman, so the team was forced to release another player. They cut guard Max Jean-Gilles, who is technically a free agent, but the Eagles expect to re-sign him Sunday.
Earlier, the Eagles waived 10 players and waited until the last minute to cut wide receiver Kelley Washington. The 10 players were : safeties Quintin Demps and Macho Harris, tight end Cornelius Ingram, wide receivers Chad Hall and Jordan Norwood, guards Fenuki Tupou and Dallas Reynolds, center A.Q. Shipley, defensive end Eric Moncor, and defensive tackle Jeff Owens.
The Eagles also traded linebacker Tracy White to New England for a conditional 2012 draft pick, giving them the required 53 players on the roster as of this evening.
The Andrews era, meanwhile, is over after just 18 months. He was the Eagles' prized off-season free agent acquisition a year ago when the team signed him to a 6-year, $39 million deal. Andrews was coming off a torn anterior cruciate ligament, however, and the Eagles moved him from tackle to guard.
Andrews and his agent Rich Moran have said that when they initially signed with the Eagles they thought the then-five-year pro was going to replace Jon Runyan at right tackle. But the Eagles had other ideas and slotted him to be the right guard next to his brother, Shawn, who moved to right tackle.
Shawn never played there because of back (and other) issues. Winston Justice filled in at right tackle and Stacy Andrews stayed at right guard. He hardly played last season, however, as he recovered from the ACL and learned a new system.
The Eagles asked him to restructure his contract in the off-season, which he agreed to. He arrived at training camp still at right guard, but he continued to have trouble adjusting and struggled in three preseason games. He suggested earlier this week that he was more comfortable at tackle.
He may get his wish now that he's been jettisoned to Seattle.
FROM EARLIER:
The Eagles have announced that they have released safeties Quintin Demps and Macho Harris, tight end Cornelius Ingram, wide receivers Chad Hall and Jordan Norwood, guards Fenuki Tupou and Dallas Reynolds, center A.Q. Shipley, defensive end Eric Moncor, defensive tackle Jeff Owens and linebacker Tracy White.
The team still has two more players to cut before 6 p.m.
There are still a number of players remaining that are probably still sweating out the final cuts. Among them are wide receivers Kelley Washington and Hank Baskett, cornerback Jorrick Calvin, linebackers Moise Fokou and Jamar Chaney, tackle King Dunlap, and guards Max Jean-Gilles and Stacy Andrews.
Fokou, Baskett, Dunlap and Andrews are probably safe, unless the Eagles can swing a trade for Andrews.
Demps was drafted in the fourth round of the 2008 draft. He played some as a rookie and was billed as the 2009 replacement to Brian Dawkins at free safety. He lost that spot, however, to Harris at training camp. Demps was seen at the NovaCare Complex loading a trash bag of belongings into his Mercedes. He gave a peace sign and then drove off without comment.
Harris started in eight games last season, but was also eventually replaced. He was moved to cornerback this spring, but injured his hamstring during camp and was switched back to safety just a week ago. He was selected in the fifth round of last year's draft.
Ingram, also a 2009 fifth-round pick, never got to play for the Eagles. He tore his anterior cruciate ligament last August, a year after suffering the same injury to the same knee, and spent last season on injured reserve. When he came back this year he appeared to be nowhere near the same player. He missed part of the preseason with swelling in his calf/knee area. There's a chance he could land on the practice squad since he's yet to play a down in the NFL.
FROM EARLIER:
The Eagles have been active players in the week leading up to final cuts, and that hasn't changed in the hours leading up to the 6 p.m. deadline for NFL teams to trim down to 53 players.
The Eagles acquired defensive end Antwan Barnes from Baltimore for a 2011 draft pick Saturday. A league source said the pick was a seventh rounder. With the addition of Barnes, the Eagles need to trim 13 players from the roster. They've already cut at least two.
A.Q. Shipley said he was released this afternoon. The second-year center is waiting to see if another team will pick him up. He said the Eagles told him to stay in the area in case they want to bring him back to the practice squad.
"I knew it was going to be tight," said Shipley, a former standout at Penn State. "I knew it was going to be a numbers game."
With starter Jamaal Jackson seemingly close to a return from knee surgery, Shipley became expendable with guard Nick Cole and Mike McGlynn also able to play center.
The Eagles also released wide receiver Chad Hall, according to Adam Caplan of FOXSports.com.
While Barnes played some strong-side linebacker with the Ravens, the Eagles brought the 25-year-old aboard to be a pass-rushing end, according to a team source. A fourth-round draft pick in 2007, the 6-foot-1, 251-pound Barnes notched three sacks in 11 games last season.
Barnes addition could be bad news for one of the Eagles' ends, particularly Darryl Tapp, or a linebacker like Moise Fokou, who had been playing some end as of late.
In acquiring Tapp in the off-season, the Eagles gave Seattle Chris Clemons and a fourth-round pick. They also signed Tapp to an extension. That doesn't necessarily mean he's a rock-solid bet to remain with the team. He has not been productive in the preseason.
Fokou led the Eagles in tackles in the preseason finale against the New York Jets while the starters rested. Fokou opened camp as the starter at strong-side linebacker, but lost the job to Akeem Jordan almost immediately.
Hey, just a word to idiots like burbguy and his crack about Andrews "sister" in NY, and briandawkins20 who called Shawn Andrews a "bust" in a post yesterday. Shawn Andrews was the only Eagle OL EVER to make the Pro Bowl in each of his first 3 full season in the league. Unfortunately he eventually lost his battles here with back surgery and depression. You damn well better hope that Kolb is half the "bust" and half the "sister" that Andrews was when healthy!— jimmyj- Super, every year the Eagles seem to find a way to have a key position in flux entering the season. Kolb will be on the IR by the bye with the turnstile line Fantasy Football Howie has put in front of him— DrSmoke
- Hey Bill1966 it will also be the first season in a while where you don't have to worry about making the playoffs either! If you enjoy losing football go move to Detroit or Cleveland! So let me get this straight you blow a day for fans to remember Dawk for a player that you cut a year later and also cut the two players that you try to replace him with. You gotta love Ol Andy!! This fo and the sheep that follows this garbage is pathetic.— Birdman411
Surprised they didn't DL Ingram but not surprised at any of the other cuts. Getting rid of Demps alone raises the collective football IQ of the team 10 points. As for Stacy, tata. You had your chance. Reddgie, you still here?— tpizza
Comment removed.- hey, I called the Harris/Demps duo to be released in a post this week. They just make too many mistakes. On another note, I wonder how much of Jeffreys money Reid blew on the Andrews brothers signing bonuses. I know the Eagles are making money, but that bottom line must be shrinking. Only 1 home playoff game since 2005. Banner must be pulling his hair out.— watsonmr
- Fokou is terrible. He stunk at down here at Maryland. Totally overrated. Too bad about Hall, that would've been cool.— Phillyexp
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They signed Andrews for a big contract, and all they can get is a seventh rounder for him. Reid=Fail.- A 7th round draft choice for a pro bowl TACKLE that the idiotic eagles forced to move to guard so his pro bowl brother, a GUARD, could move to TACKLE. Yeah, you go eagles! Idiots.— valorius
- How bad were we last year? We cut or traded half of the d backfield.— Ssteve115
- Why keep Hank & let Washington go? Not seeing it...— yobill626
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- Too much wheelin and dealin could get you nowhere in a hurry.— MJPD345
