By GORDON GLANTZ

Gordonglantz50@gmail.com

@Managing2Edit

GORDONVILLE – It should have been the best of times for the Philadelphia Flyers – at least as far as offseasons go. They had a new general manager, albeit with old ties to the team, espousing a new and refreshing approach to building a legitimate Stanley Cup contender that was potentially going to be buoyed by the NHL entry draft being in town June 27-28.

Instead, with an “eh” draft followed by underwhelming signings at the start of free agency on July 1, it has been just a shade too boring to be the worst of times.

Case in point: The biggest story coming out of Flyerville was that Claude Giroux, the team captain, raised some maturity red flags while celebrating Canada Day (re: excuse to drink Moosehead and sing Rush songs) by “repeatedly grabbing the buttocks” of a male police officer.

Not exactly a blockbuster trade or free-agent signing of someone who can actually skate and chew gum at the same time. But deeper issues bubbled to the surface.

Last offseason, Giroux suffered a serious hand injury – one that clearly hampered his effectiveness well into the season – while golfing with teammate Jason Akeson. The incident was spun that Akeson’s heroic actions may have saved Giroux’s hand, but one wonders if it was the byproduct of more immaturity enhanced by the Moose being on the loose.

It is all supposition, and perhaps unfair to let imaginations run wild, but Giroux opened himself up to the gauntlet of perceived scenarios with his “ill-advised attempt at humor” that will now make him the “butt” of jokes in enemy rinks.

And the saddest part of the whole ordeal is that this story, which may or may not become a post-script to another season that puts him in the conversation for the Hart Trophy (MVP), is the only one that has any discussion-worthy legs from the draft until the present.

To be fair, GM Ron Hextall did reportedly go hard after the No. 1 overall pick in attempt to make a hometown splash, but one wonders if this was the case of the fat kid attempting a belly-flop in the baby pool before being flagged by the lifeguard.

Why not move up from No. 17 to somewhere in the Top 10, not No. 1, and not give up as much?

All – or nothing at all – seemed a little shortsighted in a draft that lacked the depth of last year, or next.

It still seemed like the Flyers would get a hometown bounce with the likes of Kasperi Kapanen, Alex Tuch and a pair of Russian-born snipers – Nikita Scherbak and Nikolai Goldobin – still on the board when their turn came.

Instead, in a move that has Flyer DNA all over it, they selected a tall Canadian-born defenseman – Travis Sanheim – higher than he was slotted in most scouting reports.

If they had tunnel-visioned themselves just to Sanheim, who just so happens to be distantly related to Hextall, why not trade back a few picks and pick up the fourth-rounder they didn’t have?

The tone was set for yet another draft class with more questions than a presidential press conference.

The second round pick, winger Nicholas Aube-Kubel, is saddled with a boom-or-bust tag by scouts – although the Flyers did take him about where he was rated, which is somewhat refreshing.

For the second straight year, they made up for not having a fourth-round pick by reaching in the third for defenseman Mark Friedman, who is still an upgrade over goon-in-waiting Tyrell Goulbourne (taken while Danish scoring machine Oliver Bjorkstrand, who had 50 goals and 109 points in juniors last season, was still on the board in the third round a year back).

After the vacated fourth, they finally went more international with their best value pick, Swedish winger Oskar Lindbloom, in the fifth round. They added a Russian-born center playing junior hockey on the same team as Sanheim, Radel Fazleev, in the sixth round. They then went very un-Flyeresque and an added an undersized (5-8) Swedish defenseman, Jesper Petersson, in the seventh.

The only explanation was that no one was related to someone in the front office (Nick Luuko, the son of former executive, Peter Luuko, was tabbed in the sixth round a few years ago and remains more suspect than prospect).

Who knew, at the time, that the final three picks of the draft – along with extending the contract of Brayden Schenn – would highlight an offseason lowlighted by Giroux’s Canada Day folly?

On July 1, the Flyers brought back Ray Emery to back up Steve Mason in net.

Then came July 2, which was the most active day for Hextall.  Akeson, seemingly the Darren Ruf of the organization, was signed to a two-way deal, pretty much sealing his fate as the big fish in the small Lehigh Valley pond when the AHL Phantoms skate closer to home.

Tye McGinn, who should have earned a fair shot at a roster spot on a scoring line after Scott Hartnell was swapped for checking winger R.J. Umberger, was instead shipped to San Jose for the third-round pick. Journeyman defenseman Nick Schultz was brought in as the seventh defenseman to replace last year’s Ruf Award winner, Erik Gustafsson.

Before the watched-paint could dry any more, NHL/AHL bubble players Andrew Gordon and Zack Stortini were added, the latter being a notorious minor-league goon.

Somebody stop this broken record.

The following day – as Hextall continued his daily exercise of to trying to give away Vincent Lecavalier for nothing  while the eating the crow known as a big portion of his onerous contract – Giroux issued his act of contrition, complete with babble about respect for police officers.

Considering that Giroux is cast in a leadership role as team captain, perhaps they would be better off keeping Lecavalier (and one has to question the wisdom of bringing back Kimmo Timonen, who should have been named captain when Giroux was, for another season at a nice price).

That was followed by news almost as exciting as adding Blair Jones and Rob Zepp (don’t bother remembering the names, unless you are planning on going to a lot of Phantoms’ games)  on the first day of free agency, as the Flyers brought back Chris VandeVelde on a two-way contract.

Yes, the same guy who skated in 18 games with the Flyers last year and managed one whole assist – while getting about a half-dozen feature articles written about him because of his loose connection to Hextall.

Sounds familiar, huh?

Same old song.

When it has no beat, and you can’t dance to it, you have to call it for what it is.

The worst of times.

The column originally appeared at http://www.phillyphanatics.com.

By GORDON GLANTZ

Gordonglantz50@gmail.com

@Managing2Edit

GORDONVILLE — The scene was the NFL Draft, 2014.

The Eagles sat at No. 22, the result of their mercurial rise from the outhouse to within one level of the penthouse.

Just as with property taxes, the change in address comes with a price.

The Eagles were just good enough to be picking post-20, but not good enough to mortgage the future to make a definitive move.

In a way, with more needs than the average 10-6 division winner, they were living in the slums of Beverly Hills.

All they could do was sit and waiting and listen to Dusty Springfield’s “Wishin’ and Hopin’” on repeat play as others in front of them mulled their choices.

And their hopes and wishes and prayers could not help them, as the script could not have gone any more awry.

The only player they probably would have traded up for, UCLA outside linebacker Anthony Barr, went at No. 9 to the Vikings. If he had drifted into the middle of the round, they could have made a move. To get into the top 10, it would have cost this year’s and next year’s first-round picks.

No can do.

As Eagles’ coach Chip Kelly admitted, the six players they targeted at No. 22 were all good when their turn in the chow line came around.

When the same New Orleans Saints team that eliminated them from the playoffs last year moved to No. 20 and snatched Oregon State receiver Brandin Cooks, the Eagles knew they gambled and lost.

Six minus six equals zero.

To their credit, they made a decisive move to Plan B.

While the television talking heads babbled about them drafting Johnny Manziel, the obvious move was to hold the pick hostage for a team that truly hungered for Johnny Football. They found a willing dance partner in the Cleveland Browns, moving back to No. 26 and picking up a third-round pick while they danced in the streets of Cleveland.

When their new turn rolled around, the possibilities seemed endless. There were still receivers, corners, defensive linemen and safeties available. They could even move back a few more slots, or into the early second round, for more picks.

And then Roger Goodell  took to the podium.

“With 26^th pick in the 2014 NFL Draft, the Philadelphia select “Mar …,” he said.

Thoughts immediately went through the permutations for the even the most casual observer. They were taking Marqise Lee, the USC wideout two years removed from finishing fourth in the Heisman balloting, and would come back in the second round – maybe packing one of their thirds with a second – for the coveted pass-rushing 3-4 outside linebacker.

And then Goodell continued.

“(Mar)cus Smith, linebacker, Louisville,” he said.

Who?

Eagles’ devotees who waited months for this moment probably grabbed their remote controls and wondered what happened, kind of like that final scene of the final episode of “The Sopranos.”

Not a bad player, all things considered, but it seemed like the panic button had been pushed. It seemed like a poorly played hand.

It seemed like if the word “reach” were four letters, it would fit.

But it is what it is.

In the interim, between picks 22 and 26, Auburn’s edge rusher, Dee Ford, went to Kansas City. There were rumors that the Super Bowl champion Seattle Seahawks were clamoring for Smith, albeit as a project.

For the Eagles, trading back too much further would leave them without him in midnight green.

While it takes a good three years to evaluate drafts, the early grade sits at a B-minus because the value chart shows they used a first-round pick on a guy rated as a late-second/early-third.

Some deft moves by GM Howie Roseman, like trading a third to Houston for fourth- (first pick of Day 3) and fifth-round picks, allowed them to add quality and avoid detention.

Aside from Smith, they did grab three other players – Vanderbilt receiver Jordan Matthews (second round), Florida defensive back Jaylin Watkins (fourth round) and Stanford free safety Ed Reynolds (fifth) –  the consensus has as solid second-day picks.

That certainly helps the GPA, but not enough for the honor roll.

The Eagles, all told, seemed to have an uneven draft. The best-player-available format has seemingly morphed into the-best-player-available-for-our-scheme approach, which seems to be a trend around the league.

With the one third-round pick they kept, they made a slight reach for Oregon slot receiver Josh Huff, but you can almost issue a pass on it because he is a scheme fit, having played in Kelly’s offense in college.

That same could be said for fifth-rounder Taylor Hart, who will be reunited with defensive line coach Jerry Azzinaro. Hart, though, was rated as a seventh-rounder and could have likely been had there. Had they Eagles grabbed someone like Tennessee nose tackle Daniel McCullers in the fifth round and come back with Hart in the seventh, they would have gotten better value than Hart in the fifth and seventh-round nose guard Beau Allen of Wisconsin (moving up 13 slots after dealing running back Bryce Brown to Buffalo and getting back a mid-round pick either next year or in 2016).

There are no sure-fire immediate starters in this group, but we are talking about a 10-6 team that Kelly and Roseman are trying to build for the long haul.

The receivers – Matthews and Huff – are likely to make the most impact, but don’t discount the defensive backs, Watkins and Reynolds.

The reality is that NFL teams who miss on their first-round pick and nail all the rest do just fine, but we are talking about a fan base still haunted by the ghosts of Mike Mamula and Jon Harris.

Marcus Smith, for better or worse, has already been lumped into with Jerome McDougles and Danny Watkins.

He deserves more of a fair shake, because he is starting with an intense glare of naysayers on him. If you have any empathy in your football-lovin’ heart, you have to feel for Smith right now.

As the dust settles and the dawn rises on the aftermath of the 2014 NFL Draft, it will all be about him.

Free Birds

In the social media era, where undrafted players announce where they sign before teams can issue statements, the Eagles had no choice but to put out an official list of 15 undrafted players.

Perhaps because of the depth of the draft, or because of the scheme-fit trend around the league, the collection of players left undrafted was shocking.

Even more shocking was that the Eagles, usually one of the best at aggressively pursuing undrafted players, really didn’t rock the world here.

For example, Kelly singled out inside linebacker depth as a need. They didn’t draft one, but some big names – Stanford’s Shayne Skov, Florida State’s Christian Jones, Michigan State’s Matt Bullough, Penn State’s Glenn Carson, etc.  – were out there to be had.

None came here.

With Brown gone, the Eagles did snare two running backs – Missouri’s Henry Josey and Toledo’s David Fluellen – that were generally graded as mid-round picks.

Daytawion Lowe, a hard-hitting safety from Oklahoma State who runs a 4.45 40, was also considered a late-rounder and is in the Bird house.

A kicker – Vanderbilt’s Casey Spear – was signed, but it seems they are trying to give Alex Henery token competition to placate a restless fan base.

The Eagles also brought in two tackles, USC’s Kevin Graf and Texas’ Donald Hawkins,  with starting experience at big schools to compete for backup jobs.

Florida’s Trey Burton, despite being 6-2 and 225, will get a look at tight end after playing multiple positions for the Gators.

The column originally appeared at http://www.phillyphanatics.com

4/22/14

By GORDON GLANTZ

Gordonglantz50@gmail.com

@Managing2Edit

GORDONVILLE – It is better to give than it is to receive.

Yeah, well, maybe on the path to spiritual redemption, but not in the NFL.

There, in a modern-day survival-of-the-fittest model: the team that receives more than it gives away comes out on top.

By jettisoning pro bowl receiver DeSean Jackson, who promptly enlisted with the division-rival Washington Redskins, the Eagles left themselves an obvious hole in a receiving corps that seemed set.

Some felt they gave Jackson away, but that can’t be completely accessed until we know what they receive – by way of receivers – in the pending draft (May 8-10).

When Riley Cooper (17.8 yard average on 47 catches, including 8 touchdowns) was re-signed, as was Jeremy Maclin, it seemed the Eagles had the perfect pieces in place around Jackson. Veteran Jason Avant was even released, seemingly because his salary exceeded fourth-receiver money.

Then, after the Jackson bombshell, the whole picture changed.

At present, a once-clear picture suddenly looks a little murky.

Maclin has been a good, but not great player, but he missed all of last season with a torn knee ligament (the second since his college days). Cooper, it could be argued, had his career year because of space created by Jackson’s presence.

The holdovers on the roster – players like Damaris Johnson, Jeff Maehl, B.J. Cunningham, etc.  – are either the best-kept secrets in the league or merely placeholders.

The team added the quintessential utility back in Darren Sproles, but is unclear if Kelly plans to use him as a slot receiver or as a much-needed option out of the backfield for less-than-mobile quarterback Nick Foles on obvious passing downs.

No matter what the role is for Sproles, who boasts such a full bag of tricks – including return skills – it is not likely Kelly will limit him to just being a slot receiver.

Top of the list

The general feeling, with what it is purported to be a draft class of incoming receivers that will make history, is that Eagles will retool with at least one – but maybe as many as three – at various points in the draft.

They can do so with a clear conscience, as the draft is so deep at receiver that one could theoretically be grabbed with each and every pick under their patented best-player-available explanation.

That won’t happen – too many glaring needs remain, particularly on the defensive side of the ball – but it is likely they will draft some receivers that fans can immediately dial up on You Tube and get excited about while watching clips that are more intriguing than pancake blocks.

Before we start naming names, a word of caution for rookie receivers is in order. No matter how talented – how freakish their size-speed ratio and vertical leaps – there is an adjustment to the NFL and the nuances of more complicated passing games. The defensive backs are equally athletic and more physical than in college, and the ball is coming out faster – and often with more velocity – from the quarterback.

In this sense, the Eagles are taking a gamble that they will get DeSean Jackson production, even if they spend their first-round pick (No. 22 overall) on the best stud wide receiver on the board.

The jewel of the class, Sammy Watkins of Clemson, is pegged to go in the top 5-10 picks. Most credible mock drafts slot him at No. 5, to the Oakland Raiders.

Next?

There are loud whispers that the Eagles are enamored with Texas A&M’s Mike Evans, who provided a big target (6-5, 225 pounds) for Johnny Manziel and knows how to use his size. However, following some strong personal workouts, Evans has moved from being projected in the middle part of the first round to the back end of the top 10. He could wind up going as high as No. 7, to Tampa Bay, where he can be teamed up with the receiver he’s most often compared to, Vincent Jackson.

That would remove two players from the Elite Eight, leaving six receivers that are all likely to be gone by the middle of the second round. Assuming the Eagles stand pat, a third could be off the board before their turn in the chow line.

Who will remain is uncertain.

Of the six remaining A-list receivers, three – USC’s Marqise Lee, LSU’s Odell Beckham and Oregon State’s Brandin Cooks – are created in the game-breaker image of DeSean Jackson.

Lee (6-0, 195), a 2012 Heisman Trophy finalist (he had 118 catches from Eagles’ backup Matt Barkley), is coming off a down year where he was battling injuries and was not in synch with  Barkley’s replacement. Nonetheless, he is a top-end talent, with return skills, that Kelly knows well from coaching against him in the PAC-12.

The same could be said of Cooks, who switched places with Lee as the PAC-12’s premier receiver. The smallish (5-10, 186) speedster (4.49) led the BCS with, 1,670 receiving yards and claimed the Biletnikoff Award as the top receiver in college football last fall.

Beckham, like Cooks, is smaller (5-11, 193) and also runs a 4.49. He could project as a dangerous slot receiver with an array of decisive open-field moves. He also has extensive return game experience, having taken two punts to the house last season.

The other three top receivers who will likely be available – Florida State’s Kelvin Benjamin, Penn State’s Allen Robinson and Vanderbilt’s Jordan Matthews – are all at least 6-3. As such, they are considered in the mold of the big receivers – Antonio Bryant, Anquan Boldin, etc. – that teams covet. Another taller wideout, teamed with the nearly 6-4 Cooper and the 6-5 Ertz, could make the Eagles hard to defend in the red zone, with the 6-6 Foles looking over the defense and lofting the passes.

Best of the rest

If the Eagles elect to go defense in the first round, which is a distinct possibility, they would be doubling down on their roll of the dice of letting Jackson walk away for nothing but cap space, as it would be a big break if one of the top eight receivers would be on the board in the late second round.

The most likely to last would likely be Vanderbilt’s Matthews, who comes with some intriguing credentials. He is a cousin of Jerry Rice and, while they barely know one another, he reportedly has the same work ethic. He caught over 100 passes last season. His long-term ceiling might be the lowest, which is why he could last longer in the draft. However, his more developed route tree could see him as the most productive rookie, even more so than Watkins or Evans, out of the gate.

That group would include LSU’s Jarvis Landry, who is considered the best blocking receiver in the draft, which surely won’t be lost on Kelly, who puts a premium on that skill. Another is Mississippi’s Donte Moncrief. At 6-2 and 226 pounds, with jets timed at 4.49, he is considered to be a first-round talent who has yet to put it all together. And given Kelly’s penchant for Oregon players, Duck alum Josh Huff – another solid blocker who not only built like a running back (5-11, 211), but also runs like one after the catch – is a name to watch.

Draft wild cards are Wyoming’s Robert Herron, who is among the fastest (4.3 range) but among the smallest (5-9, 193), and South Carolina’s Bruce Ellington, an outstanding all-around athlete who played point guard for the Gamecocks during basketball season and could help immediately as a returner while learning the be a full-time receiver. Ellington, though, is also 5-9.

Names to Remember

The draft also includes the traditional boom-or-bust types, like Davante Adams, who is 6-2 and around 215 pounds and caught 233 passes from touted prospect Derek Carr for a Fresno State team that feasted on some inferior competition. Another is Colorado’s Paul Richardson, who is 6-3 but only 180 pounds and seems automatically pegged for a West Coast offense (Kansas City, Green Bay). Clemson’s Martavis Bryant is 6-4 and 200 pounds and runs a sub-4.4 40, but only started one year.

Conversely, guys were highly productive but don’t seem quite big or explosive enough to be starters. This list would include Mike Davis of Texas, Ryan Grant of Tulane, T.J. Jones of Notre Dame, Devin Street of Pitt, Cody Latimer of Indiana and Kevin Norwood of Alabama.

There are the smurf types that will get looks because of the success of Chief-turned-Titan Dexter McCluster as a slot receiver/returner. Kent State’s Dri Archer (5-7, 175) runs a 4.37 in the 40), Oklahoma’s Jalen Sanders (5-9, 164), Michigan’s Jeremy Gallon (5-8, 183) plays hard enough to earn a roster spot while Baylor’s Tevin Reese (5-10, 170) had 25 career touchdown passes, 22 of which were from more than 40 yards out.

There are also the crafty possession-type receivers that will have teams in search of the next Wes Welker. This list includes Jared Abbredris of Wisconsin, Michael Campanaro of Wake Forest and Alex Neutz of North Dakota.

Northwestern’s Kain Colter, the college quarterback who made news for organizing a push for college athletes to unionize, is just under 6-0 and 200 and hoping to “catch on” as a receiver (i.e. New England’s Julian Edelman, who played quarterback in college). Norman Rae’s attempts were somewhat derailed because an injury kept him from the combine and offseason workouts.

Late round steals could include Costal Carolina’s Matt Hazel and BYU’s Cody Hoffman, who had a 100-catch season as a junior but struggled as a senior (57 catches). Still, at 6-4 and 218 pounds – and with big hands and highlight-reel catches on his resume – he reminds scouts of Cooper.

Beyond Hazel, the small-school list includes Jeff Janis (6-2, 212) of Saginaw Valley State and Ryan Culbreath of Furman.

Because of the draft’s depth, the guys who never quite put it all together will get pushed down — or out — of the mix altogether, while probably being late-round picks in other years. That would include UCLA’s Shaquelle Evans, Brandon Coleman of Rutgers and L’Damian Washington of Missouri.

This analysis originally appeared at phillyphanatics.com

 

By GORDON GLANTZ

Gordonglantz50@gmail.com

@Managing2Edit

GORDONVILLE — It’s business, not personal.

In the curious case of the release of Pro Bowl receiver DeSean Jackson, the Philadelphia Eagles – the team in town that lays claim to business acumen but has gone the longest, 54 years, without a championship – are trying to run this one up the flag pole.

I’m not saluting.

And neither should you.

With the Eagles winning a Super Bowl , at least while I still have my own teeth, forever resting atop of my SBL (Sports Bucket List) – above such lofty events as Temple beating Penn State in football or reaching the Final Four in hoops – I can’t help but feel a step further away, not closer, with Jackson gone.

It doesn’t matter to me that Jackson was a “me-first” diva whose primary concern was making plays, often for his own highlight reel. Unless his showboating proved costly, like when he spiked the ball before crossing the goal line in Dallas as a rookie, I didn’t care what he did to celebrate.

And neither should you.

He was a big play waiting to happen, a weapon opponents had to game plan around. And that’s not easily replaced.

Sometimes it takes a football lifetime to replace a key player. Consider Brian Dawkins and what has happened at safety since the Eagles let him go.

Thinking you can just plug in Damaris Johnson or B.J. Cunningham and get the same results is nothing shy of sheer top-down arrogance after but one season of surprising success in which the Eagles were really an 8-8 team dressed for the playoffs in a 10-6 disguise.

They are not in a position, not yet, to jettison talent from its nucleus.

Everything being funneled to the masses through the gullible media as rationale is a carefully crafted façade designed to keep Eagles Nation distracted from the bottom line that they screwed up.

Royally.

Unless someone can prove a misdemeanor, let alone a felony, I really only have limited interest in Jackson’s personal life.

If you left the NFL with just boy scouts and choir boys, it would be more of a No Fun League than it is already.

That Jackson lived paycheck to paycheck, despite making millions, is on him.

He is not the first athlete to do so, and he won’t be the last.

He preferred gangsta rapping to sitting around team campfires, joining hands with Jeff Maehl and Roc Carmichael and singing “Kumbaya” while drinking a Chip Kelly smoothie during a team-bonding drill?

I should care?

You should care?

Maybe, in the abstract, but I don’t.

And neither should you.

We have been sticking by this team through owners, coaches and players. They come and go, sit in the back room and count out the millions while we suffer.

Maybe they don’t owe us an explanation, and maybe they can’t legally give us one anyway. But they owe us better than what they gave us in a scenario that is sure to come back and haunt us in our nightmares.

The reality is that the Eagles, in trying to take the high road, have made it way more personal.

And it’s going to hurt business.

Jackson missed team charity events? Blew off his mandatory exit interview after the season-ending loss to New Orleans in which he was a spark in a comeback bid? Didn’t return phone calls from his coach?

Not good. The team, no team, can have separate sets of rules for players.

But they could have handled it differently.

If they believed he was a detriment, then try the trade route. At least you can control where he goes and get something, even if it’s not equal value, in return.

Because the NFL is dysfunctional in this regard, making trades hard to swing without being creative, they were left with one choice.

Make it work.

Call him in the first day the team reconvenes and lay down the law. Tell him this season is his last chance to stay an Eagle, which would mean his last chance to play for big bucks.

Tell him he is going to run laps, instead of plays, for missing the exit interview.

And then he begins with the third string.

Think he is embarrassing you with his antics? Embarrass him back.

It would blow over soon enough.

It’s better than letting him walk for nothing and facing him twice a year for the next three seasons while he has a chip on his shoulder.

The system is great, but talented players kind of make that engine go.

And they gave one away. Gift-wrapped.

I don’t care if they take one of the many stud receivers available in May’s draft at No. 22 and then hedge their bet with one of two more from the bumper crop.

Heck, I don’t care if they trade up and pluck the gem of the class, Sammy Watkins of Clemson.

Rookie receivers, no matter how much freakish talent they may possess, usually need refinement in the nuances of the pro game – nurturing lasting into their second or third seasons – before being able to reach their full potential.

The Eagles had a sure thing at the receiver position. They re-signed both Riley Cooper, who thrived against single coverage for a career year while Jackson attracted attention, and a medical question mark in Jeremy Maclin. Then, they cut good guy Jason Avant – the purported babysitter for Jackson – to keep from having too much money dumped in the wide receiver stable.

It was believed that Jackson, with Cooper and Maclin, was going to make for a trio that would be impossible to defend – particularly with tight end Zach Ertz primed for a breakout sophomore season and veteran all-purpose back Darren Sproles added to the mix.

With opponents gasping for air while the Eagles run plays every 15 seconds, it would have been open season for quarterback Nick Foles and running back LeSean McCoy to take advantage of the litany of mismatches.

Pull Jackson from the mix?

Well, the picture is a bit different, isn’t it?

On top of that, adding insult to injury, the Eagles stumbled on the run here. They were clumsy in their long-shot trade attempts and were forced to release him after a report from NJ.com – one that would have gotten a D-minus from any mail-order journalism class – that merely reiterated a bunch of guilt-by-association babble about the three-time Pro Bowler coming off his best statistical season.

Realizing they couldn’t trade him at that point, and not being men enough to give it another shot, he was released.

Jackson was signed by a division rival, the Washington Redskins, at a pay rate that maybe could have been renegotiated – albeit with some guaranteed money to continue living in the moment – to stay here and make it work.

All in all, I would say it was a poorly played hand.

If the decision was that the NovaCare Castle wasn’t big enough to hold both the egos of Kelly and Jackson, there were still better options.

Why not release him before free agency and have more money freed up to sign a better safety – i.e. Jairus Byrd, T.J. Ward, Donte Whitner – than using spin control to make Malcom Jenkins sound like the second coming of Ronnie Lott and bringing back the soft-hitting Nate Allen on the premise that he was “better” than awful last season?

Instead of career special teamers, like Chris Maragos and Bryan Braman, maybe they could have made a play for pass-rusher DeMarcus Ware when he was released by the Cowboys.

Instead, the dire need for an edge pass rusher remains unaddressed.

There are players who do that type of thing in the draft, but now the Eagles are boxed into a corner and have to load up on receivers because they couldn’t find a way to make it work with Jackson.

This, my fellow sufferers, is bad business.

Make that 55 years without a championship.

Tough to swallow when you weren’t even alive in 1960 and have since invested so much time, emotion and energy in this team.

So, yeah, I’m taking it personally.

And so should you.

This column first appeared at http://www.phillyphanatics.com

 

By GORDON GLANTZ

Gordonglantz50@gmail.com

@Managing2Edit

GORDONVILLE — You are about to go shopping and you have $24.1 million in your wallet.

When one considers the merchandise at the marketplace where the goods and services of NFL free agents are being bought, $24.1 million could be perceived as a lot or a little.

That is the balance the Philadelphia Eagles, a team looking to build upon its mercurial rise from 4-12 obscurity to a 10-6 record and a first-place finish in the NFC East, have left on their credit card (after taking care of some in-house business before turning their attention to free agency). Teams and players began talking Saturday and the first hints, if not the VIP visits and announcements of signings, can come as early as Tuesday (4 p.m.).

While the next step remains cloaked in mystery, what is clear is that the Eagles – with general manager Howie Roseman spending owner Jeff Lurie’s dough – have a pragmatic plan.

Offense is fine

There was no pressing need to reinvent the wheel on offense after surging to the top of the charts with rookie head coach Chip Kelly’s fast-break attack that didn’t seem to lose much traction with Nick Foles, a less-than-mobile quarterback, behind the wheel.

They brought Foles’ favorite target, Riley Cooper, back on a five-year deal for $25 million. Despite a vibe that it was going to be an either-or choice between Cooper and Jeremy Maclin, who missed last season with torn knee ligament, Maclin was also resigned to a one-year deal.

The downside was that veteran Jason Avant, one of the team’s spiritual leaders, was a cap casualty. Not wanting to have too much money plunked into one position – in this case, wide receiver – Avant was sent packing after eight seasons as an Eagle.

The Eagles also locked up all-pro left tackle Jason Peters for five years and center Jason Kelce for seven, all but assuring that both will finish their careers in whatever shade of green the uniforms morph into over the coming seasons.

The only open spot on offense would be a receiver to replace Avant, which allows the Eagles to most likely address that need at some point in a talent-rich pool in May’s draft.

Meaning, they have set themselves for the obvious. If they are to continue to evolve and get to the next level, the area of greatest need will be the primary focus of both free agency and the draft.

That means defense, defense and more defense.

If you need any more convincing, look at the template of recent Super Bowl champions (Seahawks, Ravens and Giants won the last three).

Potential surprises

Before we get to the defense, there could be some surprising signings in other areas.

Kicker Alex Henery seems to inspire no confidence in Kelly, and some good ones are on the market. The list includes Steven Hauschka (Seahawks), Phil Dawson (49ers), Adam Vinatieri (Colts) and … David Akers (Lions).

The most realistic choice could be Dan Carpenter, who made 33 of 36 kicks for Buffalo last year after his career slowly tanked in Miami after making the Pro Bowl in 2009. The issue would be what to do with Henery. A competition would be healthy, but they would be paying both through training camp. It’s more likely a rookie with some leg and a resume is drafted late.

And with trade rumors swirling around DeSean Jackson, another receiver – one with return skills – is not out of the question, either.

Consider: Julian Edelman (Patriots), Dexter McCluster (Chiefs), Ted Ginn (Panthers), Josh Cribbs (Jets), Trindon Holliday (Broncos) and Devin Hester (Bears, pictured left).

Signing one of these receivers/returners isn’t likely, but Roseman might be surprised what he catches if he goes fishing with less bait than one might expect, particularly from the back end of that list. With all due respect to Brad Smith, Cribbs and Hester would be dollar-store upgrades.

Then there is the whole issue surrounding backup quarterback. Could Michael Vick return? Well, how can you pay him more than Foles’ $750,000 to be his backup, even with it clear that Foles will get a king’s ransom next offseason with a close replication of this season?

But how can you pay Vick less? You can’t.

That leaves either the scrap heap – Jimmy Clausen (no team in 2013), Charlie Whitehurst (Chargers), Brady Quinn (Rams) or worse (Tim Tebow) – or the middle-to-late rounds of the draft, or keeping G.J. Kinne as the No. 3, with Matt Barkley moving up to No. 2.

Birds need a safety … or two … or three

But we digress.

The Eagles were the worst team in the league against the pass last year. The pass defense got better as the season progressed, and a lot of those numbers were bloated because they were involved in games where they got comfortable leads and gave up garbage-time yards while clinging for dear life, but it still remained the Achilles’ heel.

A more consistent pass rush would have helped, as would a shutdown corner, but let’s be real.

Even Stevie Wonder could see the most glaring weak spot is safety. The Eagles seemed to concur. They were more than content letting three free agents – Nate Allen, Kurt Coleman and Colt Anderson – walk. Moreover, a few more million can be added to the $24.1 budget if Patrick Chung is jettisoned.

That leaves second-year man Earl Wolff and a practice-squad guy, Keelan Robinson, as the only warm bodies.

Eagles Nation would welcome All-Pro Jairus Byrd, who could not come to terms with the Buffalo Bills before free agency arrived, into the nest with almost the same verve as it did Terrell Owens in 2004.

The need, the obvious upgrade, is that great.

If it is presumed that if Byrd’s price tag is too ridiculous – he may start off asking for $10-12 million per year and end up “settling” for $9 million – the Eagles can look to T.J. Ward from the Cleveland Browns for around $6-8 million.

Ward played college football at Oregon, including one season with Kelly as his head coach. Byrd was also a Duck, but only when Kelly was the offensive coordinator.

Signing one of the former Ducks at safety makes sense, and could happen, but the Eagles could opt to use free agency address other defensive needs – an edge pass rusher from the outside linebacker spot, a rotational defensive lineman (Matt Shaughnessy from Arizona was being floated before Cedric Thornton was given an extension) who can help stuff the run, and a corner who might be buried on a depth chart elsewhere.

If the Eagles are keeping their master plans close to the vest, it will slowly unravel in the light of day Tuesday.

If they are courting on Byrd and Ward, or maybe even Donte Whitner from the San Francisco 49ers or Antoine Bethea of the Indianapolis Colts, it is clear they are looking to put their proverbial eggs in one basket and look for help in the other areas of need from a draft pool that is deep at almost every position (except safety, where the talent falls off after two obvious first-rounders, Alabama’s Ha-Ha Clinton-Dix and Louisville’s Calvin Pryor).

If they are instead talking to the second-tier group of safeties that includes Chris Clemons (Dolphins) and Malcom Jenkins (Saints), among others, then expect an outside linebacker and defensive lineman in the shopping cart.

They could also try for a 2-for-1 deal at safety, signing Clemons, Jenkins or Mike Mitchell (Panthers), and bringing back Allen (left) or Coleman or taking a chance on a one-year contract for one-time hot prospect Taylor Mays (Bengals), who has the size (6-foot-3, 220-230 pounds) and speed (sub-4.5) and age (26) to warrant a low-risk look. The oft-injured former three-time All-American at USC made just $630,000 last year.

Addressing other needs

If that’s the route Roseman chooses, then what?

Money will be left, and more can be freed up. Beyond Chung ($3.25 million), linebacker Brandon Graham (just under $3.4 million) and third-string tight end James Casey (close to $4 million) can be shed for most their salaries.

One would think Graham and Casey could have some value if shopped in a trade, at least in theory, but the New Orleans Saints and Chicago Bears recently learned – from trying to shop running back Darren Sproles and Hester before releasing them – making trades is easier said than done.

Outside linebacker Trent Cole, who came on strong at the end of last season before disappearing against a rookie left tackle in the playoff loss to the Saints, is due a significant salary bump after the season. Translation: This is likely No. 58’s last year here.

Graham, who was coming on a defensive end at the end of the forgettable 2012 season, does not appear to be the answer now that the team deploys a 3-4 alignment.

The most appealing linebacker on the free agent list was Brian Orakpo, but the rival Washington Redskins more or less took him off the market by placing the franchise tag on him. Next on the list? Jason Worilds re-signed with the Pittsburg Steelers for close to $10 million for one year.

Beyond that, it’s anyone’s guess. The Eagles could have their eye on an unheralded type of guy like O’Brien Schofield (Seahawks) that they can cultivate, but they are reportedly quite high on Travis Long, who spent last season on the practice squad.

Roseman would be happy to have money left in the till to throw at Foles, and others, after next season and kept the team’s core intact.

Don’t overlook the draft

Additionally, there is the draft to consider. The Eagles, at No. 22, have no shot at Buffalo linebacker Khalil Mack and little shot at UCLA linebacker Anthony Barr. However, there are oodles of OLB/DE types scattered throughout all rounds of most reputable mock drafts.

If they find themselves without a shot at either safety or edge rusher at No. 22, they could always trade back, picking up extra picks, and come away with a player like BYU’s Kyle Van Noy or Auburn’s Dee Ford and be more than satisfied with the value.

As for cornerback, they Eagles are in a similar place with Cary Williams as they are with Cole, as Williams’ will see a salary increase after this season. A developmental fourth corner could be identified in free agency, but there are also plenty in the draft.

They could come away on Day 2 (second and third rounds) with a player like Ohio State’s talented-but-underachieving Bradley Roby and bring him along. There are also the likes of Nebraska’s Stanley Jean-Baptiste, who is attracting a lot of attention because he is a huge (6-3, 220) converted receiver like Seattle’s Richard Sherman, and Division II standout Pierre Desir (6-1, 200).

While it is not as sexy to throw out names of college players that are largely not known by NFL fans, Roseman is right in his assessment that the best teams are built through the draft.

He learned the hard way in 2011 – as part of the “all-in” spending spree that built a Dream Team that turned into an 8-8 nightmare – of the right path.

The last two drafts have been stellar, and that is still the way to go.

Yet, free agency is not as much a dead end street as it is a “T” intersection. It’s just a question of which way they will turn.

We are soon to find out.

The column originally appeared at http://www.phillyphanatics.com

By GORDON GLANTZ

Gordonglantz50@gmail.com

@Managing2Edit

GORDONVILLE – What do Brian Dawkins, Bill Bradley, Wes Hopkins, Michael Lewis, Jerry Norton, Randy Logan and Quinten Mikell all have in common?

They are all safeties who have represented the Philadelphia Eagles in the Pro Bowl.

This tradition of decades of quality safety play extends beyond Pro Bowl bids, which are often political and often feature voters selecting the same players out of force of habit.

Case in point is the beloved Andre Waters. The late No. 20 never went to a Pro Bowl, but was voted to the Eagles’ 75^th anniversary team, alongside Dawkins, at safety and was a first-team UPI All-Pro choice in 1991.

It is a tradition – on good and not-so-good Eagles teams – that has been carried on by others, too.

Don Burroughs, a 6-foot-5 safety who snagged a league-high nine interceptions in that long-ago last championship season of 1960 (and 29 in five total seasons with the Eagles), was a second-team all-league choice by the AP in 1960 and second-team by the UPI in 1961.

Terry Hoage’s eight interceptions – while platooning with Hopkins – earned him a second-team All-Pro nod in 1988.

Joe Scarpati played six seasons for the Eagles in the mid-to-late 1960s and had 24 interceptions, including eight for a league-high 182 yards in 1966.

Brenard Wilson, who started alongside Logan in Super Bowl 16 against the Oakland Raiders, had 15 of his 17 career interceptions in three seasons (including six in 1980, the NFC Championship year).

But 2009, when Mikell went to Hawaii as a Pro Bowl alternate, marked the start of an era of darkness.

Since then, the Eagles have been like the 1980s pop band Men Without Hats – as in hats (coachspeak for helmets) on receivers coming over the middle or running backs galloping free downhill like runaway locomotives through the nightmarish Wide-9 defense.

In an attempt to fix the problem, the front office has been doing its own “Safety Dance” – the big smash from the aforementioned Montreal-based New Wave act – without much success.

And for all the excitement generated this past season, when the Eagles and rookie head coach Chip Kelly went 10-6 and captured the flag in the NFC East behind the mercurial play of quarterback Nick Foles and league rushing champ LeSean McCoy, the back end of the defense remained their Achilles’ heel.

The play of the cornerbacks – Cary Williams and Bradley Fletcher on the outside and Brandon Boykin in the slot – was adequate, but they can only do so much, in lieu of holding their man and drawing crucial penalties, before releasing receivers to the next level and/or waiting for help to arrive over the top.

The safety position, even to the most casual observer, is the top priority.

And like that line in “Safety Dance,” general manager Howie Roseman and Kelly, “can dance if they want to, they can leave their cares behind.”

How, exactly, can it be done with a rookie crop considered just average and a top-heavy free agent list that gets thin in hurry?

Difficult, but not impossible.

Step one is cleaning house of the group in place.

Patrick Chung, who seemed like he was more in the way of his own teammates than the opposition, is sure to be jettisoned, along with his $3.75 million salary, after one disjointed season.

Nate Allen, whose claim to fame last season was that he was “better” than the comatose way he had played before, is a pending free agent. Ditto for Kurt Coleman, who was the one-time starter mercifully relegated to special teams work last season.

Another free agent is special-teamer Colt Anderson, who is really a safety in name only.

That would leave only Earl Wolff, whose efforts as a fifth-round rookie made him a default cult hero before a knee injury put him on the shelf. Practice squad holdover Keelan Johnson could get a look as a deep reserve at the NFL’s minimum wage, but there is no emotional attachment or investment of a draft pick there.

If this scenario isn’t a clean slate – a chance to do a safety dance right into a new era – then what is?

The murmurings are that Allen, the player the Eagles drafted with the second-round pick obtained from the Washington Redskins in the Donovan McNabb trade, has enough people still pulling for him within the front office to be brought back on a palatable deal.

If that’s the case, that would need to be as far as it goes, in terms of giving out 15^th chances to this group of do-nothings.

The Eagles are facing a considerably tougher schedule this season and their weakest area needs an upgrade. There should be at least one free agent signing and one draft pick joining Wolff and, probably, Allen.

There are some safeties in the draft worth considering, but not worth a reach of Jaiquawn Jarrett proportions.

Pre-combine, most reputable mock drafts had Alabama’s Ha Ha Clinton-Dix going before the Eagles pick at No. 22. His value is not likely to drop, as he has proven adept at not letting some of the best college stud receivers get past him, but he could be pushed down a few spots – from the mid-teens to the early 20s – if other players at different positions see their stocks rise.

If he falls into the Eagles’ lap, it would be a no-brainer. Worth a trade up, though? He is probably not that type of impact player.

Next on the list is Calvin Pryor of Louisville, who plays with a physical style that would remind the Eagle Nation of Hopkins.

Going into the second and third rounds, we see players like Deone Bucannon of Washington State, Dion Bailey of USC and Craig Loston of LSU. All are more in-the-box strong safeties. (Bucannon led the PAC-12 in tackles, Bailey has played a lot of linebacker and Loston’s downhill hits have gone viral on You Tube.) That style safety has a harder time finding a place to land in the run-and-gun NFL (see Jarrett).

Among the others still looking to break from the pack at this weekend’s combine and/or individual pro day workouts are Jimmie Ward of Northen Illinois, Ty Zimmerman of Kansas State, Lemarcus Joyner of Florida State and Tre Boston of North Carolina.

The Eagles could also think outside the box and earmark a big, raw cornerback prospect for training a safety. An ideal candidate would be Pierre Desir (6-1, 200) from Division II Lindenwood.

But the reality is that only Clinton-Dix or Pryor could make immediate impacts, albeit with learning curves and expected rookie mistakes.

The top two safeties in free agency are Jarius Byrd of Buffalo and T.J. Ward of Cleveland. Both, like that list of standout safeties in the team’s history, are fresh off of Pro Bowl appearances.

And it just so happens that both played at Oregon, Chip Kelly’s former college fiefdom and regular pipeline to the Eagles’ roster and practice squad.

On talk radio, Joe D’Fan has suggested signing both, which would be quite a coup, but it wreaks too much of the 2011 “Dream Team” strategy that backfired worse than a speeding 18-wheeler with 20-year-old spark plugs.

Roseman is on record as saying he is not going there again.

NFL insiders say that Byrd is looking for a humongous pay day while the Browns could brand Ward with the franchise tag before letting him walk.

Translation, Mr. D’Fan: Don’t get your hopes up, even for one of them.

The next group includes Donte Whitner (49ers), Antoine Bethea (Colts), Chris Clemons (Miami), Louis Delmas (Detroit), Malcolm Jenkins (Saints), Stevie Brown (Giants) or Major Wright (Bears).

Whitner could possibly be available, but only if the Niners have to spend too much to retain other free agents.  Still, they want him back and he does not want to leave.

Of the rest, Delmas seems the most likely to change locations, with Denver the most likely landing spot.

And once you get past this group, well, you are looking at guys with either too much tread on the tires or voluminous medical histories.

Anyone else?

We have Bernard Pollard, last of the Titans, who is 29 years old and has a ring with the Baltimore Ravens. He would bring leadership and a needed sense of honor to the back end, similar to former teammate Williams at the corner, but he does not have the pedigree to end the Pro Bowl drought.

An off-the-radar guy to watch could be Taylor Mays. The former three-time All-American at USC is a known entity to Kelly. A second-round pick by the 49ers in 2010, he was promptly traded to the Bengals and never really panned out at either place, largely because of injuries.

The 26-year-old was playing decently last season before a shoulder injury put him out of commission, so he would be a candidate for one of those incentive-laden one-year deals. Mays also fits Kelly’s theme of “big guys beat up on small guys,” as he is 6-3 and 220 pounds and ran a sub-4.5 40 coming out of college.

At the least, if healthy, he is night-and-day depth upgrade over Coleman and Chung.

And then, there is always Mikell.

He will be 34 soon and is battling a Lisfranc injury, but his resume has one thing none of the others do.

Against a desperate backdrop of needing to head in the future by shedding the present and remembering the past, he did something none of the present have done.

He is the last Eagle safety to play in a Pro Bowl.

This column originally appeared at http://www.phillyphanatic.com