Birds Bag Babin
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Birds Bag Babin
Les Bowen
For fans wondering when some of the underperforming stars that have helped doom this Eagles season might be held accountable, there was an answer Tuesday, too little, too late, but better than nothing.
Preening defensive end Jason Babin was released. In a statement, Eagles coach Andy Reid said he appreciated Babin's contributions -- which included making the Pro Bowl last year -- but that cutting him "gives us an opportunity to give more playing time to some of the younger guys in the defensive line rotation." -- Such as rookie Vinny Curry, who saw his first action of the season Monday and led the DL with five tackles in just 21 snaps.
Babin, who had 18 sacks last year, has 5.5 this season. He has rarely made a play other than a sack.
In an NFL Network interview, Babin was asked if he was surprised, when Reid gave him the news.
“Yeah I was definitely surprised by the move. That’s the way football goes. You can never be too surprised. There are crazy things [that] happen every week, every year,” Babin said.
Babin must clear waivers, because the trade deadline is well past. A team claiming him would be on the hook for about a third of his $5 million base for 2012. Babin began his second tour with the Eagles as part of the disastrour free agent signing tour of 2011, when he inked a five-year, $27.325 million deal after a Pro Bowl year in Tennessee under defensive line coach Jim Washburn, who preceded Babin to Philadelphia.
Reid told the Daily News Tuesday evening that Washburn was OK with the release of Babin. Reid said fans shouldn't imply that Babin is the reason for the Eagles' defensive struggles.
In the NFL Network interview, Babin said the players were to blame, in general, not himself specifically.
“Really a lot of it is due to us. If you don’t do what you’re supposed to do – if you’re not covering the right guy, playing the right coverage, in the right gap, getting the right call, not communicating – you’re giving the other team a big advantage to making a big play.”
Yet another good reason to fire Nickels Roseman.— snakeplissken- Glad he is out of here...He had a pea brain and a mouth that continually uttered stupidity and hope he gets gored by the bulls in his foolish pursuit of stupidity— nuggett
- No more blabbin! Yeah!— gentian
- How about giving a pink slip to Washburn and Mudd as well as Nambi
and DRC. Trent Cole is lucky he didn't get cut also. There has to
be a total house cleaning at the end of the year.— naplesfan - ANYONE WHO QUESTIONS EAGLES FANS' "LOYALTY" CAN KISS MY #SS. BYE BYE MAMULA, AH, BABIN - EAT ME, YOU UNDERACHIEVING INK STINK -— box of frozen dried out cheese
- Now Jason will have time to run with the reindeer. One dimensional product of a "gimmick" defense. Andy was the fool to implement a "wide nine" without having a DC on board first,without having the personnel to pull it off. We need players who are proud to be Eagles, not mercenaries who had thier price met. Clean house!!!!— realitybedamned
- Limp-wrist, announce these firings at the post-game press conference after the last game:
Roseman
Reid
Morningwood
Mudd
Washburn
April
Bowles
every other assistant coach/intern/"quality control" specialist/etc
Watkins
Dunlap
Bell
Reynolds
Dorenbos
D Jax
Cooper
Avant
Cole
Patterson
Graham
Matthews
Asoughma (don't care if it's spelled correctly)
DRC
Allen
Coleman
all 2nd-string DBs (if they can't beat out the starters...)
Vick
Trent Edwards (just because)
Dave Spadaro
Merrill Reese (cleaning house is cleaning house!)— jman - We can only dream jman! But Merrill can stay, he at least is not afraid to call it like it is. Which is bad! I bet 90% of these players don't even make another team.— kchaz
- So? Is Jason still tweeting about the fans not being loyal?— lostInPhilly
This story is screaming for an editor.— The Monk- MCNUTT! MCNUTT!! MCNUTT!!!— rubbergash
