(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.
Yes, lesser but younger, more motivated to play well to make up for the loss. It is always the same everywhere and we shall see how Dawk plays in Denver. If he fails, then the Eagles will look like geniuses. If he leads them to a division title, well you know how revolutions go!— KGKoons- Good luck Weapon X..— MrMayhem
- What if Dawk and his agent were looking for WAAAAAY more than the Eagles thought he was worth, even accounting for paying him because he's so beloved? What if Denver just blew him out of the water with an offer? Very few people walk away from more $$$$$. I wanted him back, but surely there has to be a limit to his value, no? The Eagles are easy to make out as villains.....they invite it......but I doubt it's as simple as that.— guit10
- Lawyer Malloy— DaveinNewton
- KGKoons, it doesn't matter how well or how badly Dawkins does in Denver. This isn't about wins and losses as much as pride and knowing who has your back. Dawkins was always there for the Eagles, for the fans, and for this city. It just won't be the same without him, and seeing him wear the colors of another team now is heartbreaking. I want a SuperBowl victory as much as anyone, but what I want even more is to feel great about the guys who wear the silver and green. Dawkins leaving town takes away some of the joy I have for being an Eagles fan.— Hutch
- Here's his deal Dawkins was signed by the Denver Broncos on February 28, 2009. The contract is worth 5 years and $17 million with $7.2 million guaranteed, with a termination clause after 2 years. If he were to be cut after two years, he would receive an additional $1.8 million Can't blame him or the Eagles.— jks
- I'm done... Philadelphia Eagles, Inc. Heartless, soulless, corporation. NO trophies, no brains, no heart.— ArcaneAlchemy
- i'm sad...that's all i have to say. my jersey will be planted under a walnut tree.— rich_gelman
- It won't work out for him. I wish he was still with us, but Denver will be disappointed. He's got to be protected and learn a new defense at the same time? There's a better chance on Eskin disagreeing with Reid on something than him going back to the pro-bowl.— TheAvalonBryan
- I wish only the best for Brian Dawkins. May he blow up his AFC opponents with impunity. We will certainly miss him, and I wonder now how the Eagles will have their heart. I hope some of our younger defensive players (Bradley, Gocong, Mikell) answer the call and generate the intensity that is now leaving for Denver. Brian Dawkins, thank you for all of your efforts throughout the years and the unforgettable moments -- the Dawk-plex, your ballistic missile tackling, your undeniably huge heart. Philadelphia will be a lesser town without you.— grales
Comment removed.
You've captured it, Rich - well done. We hope that a few players can step in to lead the team, but experience tells us it probably won't be McNabb. Best of luck to B Dawk, who deserves to win a Super Bowl ring.- what do you reall expect from a owner who is from BOSTON!!!!!!!!!!! a numbers guy who is so tight he squakes all over the place! a MORON Coach! wake up! that is your true problems!— losteagle
- You forgot to mention that Denver signed him to a 5 year contract. Are you kidding me, a 5 year contract????? That's just plain ridiculous and they were willing to way overpay Dawkins to get him. I don't blame the Eagles one bit. They were willing to give him a 2 year contract but he didn't want it, he wanted a 5 year contract from Denver. There's no way in hell Dawkins has 5 more good years left in his tank. This one is all too reminiscent of Trotter leaving for the Redskins because he was willing to go wherever he could get overpaid. Can't blame Dawk for taking the money although I thought he was probably one of the few guys in the NFL who wouldn't just sign wherever for money. The thing that Denver has overestimated in this equation is that Jim Johnson built his defense around Dawk and I think you'll see him get exposed in Denver. We all know that he's got problems in coverage and I just don't see him being able to free-lance as much in their D. Oh well, adios Dawk. Mikell can play either safety position, Demps looks promising and we'll just have to find another guy to throw into the mix that will be us younger and quicker back there.— JimG
- "The contract is worth 5 years and $17 million with $7.2 million guaranteed, with a termination clause after 2 years. If he were to be cut after two years, he would receive an additional $1.8 million". If those are even CLOSE to the actual numbers, Denver is ridiculous, the Birds did exactly the right thing........and good for Dawk! I'm glad for him, but also glad the Eagles didn't pay that.— guit10
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