Tra: I haven't heard from Andy
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Tra: I haven't heard from Andy
Sheil Kapadia, Philly.com
In an interview with WIP's morning show, Tra Thomas said today that he has had no communication with Andy Reid since signing with the Jaguars.
"I haven't heard from him. ...I talked to [offensive line coach] Juan [Castillo]. Juan called me. I'm gonna give him a call today and talk to him," Thomas said. "But hey man, 10 years with him [Reid], I haven't heard anything, but it's cool. I understand the nature of the game. I don't take it personal."
Granted, it has been less than 24 hours, but Thomas said the only time Reid talked to him about his future was when the Eagles coach called him before the free-agency period started and said they'd just have to see what happens.
"No one ever said anything to me," Thomas said. "None of the coaches reached out to me and said anything. Coach Reid called me one time right when free agency was just about to begin, when they had that 12 o'clock deadline, when they told me and [Jon] Runyan we can't come in tomorrow. That was it. He gave me like a quick call. I was on the phone with him for like five minutes and it was just a quick surface conversation and then that was it. There wasn't a conversation saying 'hey we want you' or 'hey we don't want you.' It was just kind of like 'we'll just see how it plays out' and that was it. I didn't hear anything else from anybody else."
Thomas later clarified that he was not told he couldn't work out at the Eagles facilities.
Maybe this is standard procedure when teams don't want to bring free agents back in the NFL. I don't know.
But from an outsider's view, it would seem that the Eagles could improve their communication skills.
You can go back and point to the Brian Dawkins situation when Joe Banner said he had no idea how Dawkins felt after the two sides met to discuss a new contract. Banner said the Dawkins camp never called the Eagles after they had an offer on the table from the Broncos. But Dawkins told Comcast SportsNet's Derrick Gunn that they did try to contact the Eagles.
And looking back even further, there was the much-discussed topic of Reid not being the one to tell Donovan McNabb he was being benched during the season.
Meanwhile, Thomas said he "didn't know anything" in terms of what the Eagles' plans were after the season.
"Once Dawk signed with Denver, I said 'there it is,' " Thomas said, concluding that if the team wasn't going to bring Dawkins back, they definitely weren't going to bring him back.
Looking at some of the comments on the blogs and stories on philly.com, I've been surprised that many have taken the "good riddance" approach with Thomas. Whether you think they should have re-signed him or not, the guy has been durable and a superior pass blocker throughout the Reid/McNabb era. 149 regular-season games in all.
It could very well be a case of not appreciating him until he's gone.
On that note, The Inquirer's Bob Brookover and the Daily News' Les Bowen both write about where the Eagles go from here. Bob Ford touches on the topic also on his blog Post Patterns.
Editor's Note: This entry was originally posted at 8:38 a.m. this morning. I have since listened to the podcast and added to Thomas' quotes.
Comment removed.
Sheil, you nailel it, it seems The Three stooges communication with the players is not much better than there interaction with the fans/press. People want to play/work for people that want them. People will often take less money/benefits if they feel appreciated and respected. The stooges biggest downfall is communication and 2 out of 3 are not football people making personel decisions. The Dawkins thing is the tipping point to a failed organization that will eventually make them want to sell the team (yea)!— Earl J- Comment removed.
The Eagles management have done a reasonably good job over the last 10 years. However, that is no excuse to display such a level of disdain towards its players as well as the fans. Last year Banner told a fan on 610 not to come to the games if he does not like what they are doing (yes in so many words). Sounds like a suggestion that all fans should heed. This year Banner essentially said he does not care what the fans think. Which is okay except that it is really reflective of his arrogance rather than a deep rooted belief in what he is doing.— cleansports- calbrese, he gave up two sacks in the regular season, find another tackle in the league that can say that... you cant... your a moron.. get a clue— bleed green forever
- Comment removed.
- calabrese you ARE a moron. Youre right, you didnt say anything about sacks. Bleed green was pointing out that he only gave up two sacks in defense of two of your comments saying "Get Lost Tra, you suck" and "Tra we question whether you can hear, with all your false starts and all....." Dont deflect the issue b.c you cant defend someone else's response to you. What are you a politcian? He's proving statistically how Tra WAS good, all you did was insult the man through opinion. Lets see how your genius mind reacts to this one.— tripschaos
- Hey. it seems as if Reids inter-personal skills are at perfection. Makes me wonder why his kids rebelled the way they did - probably 25 years of "surface conversations".— michael2_19030
- Tra seemed to struggle in big games earlier in his career e.g. the NFC title game vs. the Rams, where Wistrom and Leonard Little were too quick for him (and Runyan). He seemed to some some of his best years and playoff games more recently. I hate to write this, but I think it will be less safe for #5 this year now that Tra is gone.— TeamFirst
Get lost Calabrese, you suck...— wokmaster- Tra, you know, is gone. What, you know, will the Eagles do, you know?— Mark55
- Comment removed.
- Tra was above average at best last year, as was Dawkins and Runyan. I'll miss Dawkins as much as anyone but Jim Johnson clearly had to tweak the defense to play into Dawkins strengths as he lacked coverage ability. With that said, this team desperately needs a RB. We also need a OT, TE, S, CB, WR, FB. The draft will satisfy most of these needs, but just because there is a youth movement with the Eagles doesn't mean we're takinga step back. Even with losing Dawkins, Thomas, and Runyan, we're returning 10/11 starters on defense and 9/11 starters on offense. The Andrews signing is an upgrade over Runyan. Sean Jones at safety will be fine and we'll prob have something like Herremans/Cole/Jackson/Andrews/Andrews as our offensive line.— dsh129
- Here's hoping that we have a strong and obvious candidate for the Left OT position when training camp starts. I have no stomach for the round-robin type situation that we had to suffer through last year for the fullback spot. Also note that that is STILL unresolved! Andy, you have got to be real sure on this one to allow Tra to be with the Jags now.— TBear
Well, I haven't spent a dime on the Eagles (tickets, merchandise anyting) since they lost the SB. Obviously, it's been money well saved. Call me when they actually win a championship, maybe I'll be happy for them. I just hope this ownership/GM group isn't still in charge when the NFL decides to charge for every game on TV because I'll have to stop watching them too. BTW, just picked up my new #35 Phillies jersey, best $100 I ever spent on sports merchandise - I expect to be wearing it for the next 15+ years. World Series Champions!!!!!!
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