Guest Post: Eagles must show Desean Jackson the money

The great Mark Trible gives his thoughts on the Eagles front office and DeSean Jackson:

With the trade of Kevin Kolb for a second round pick in next year’s NFL draft and cornerback Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie, the Philadelphia Eagles front office continued to improve their reputation as one of the finest in the league. They’ve earned the reputation in part with their understanding of when to let older players go, drafting well, and most importantly, extending their best young players early in their contract.

When they do the latter of those things, they often end up with a successful player that makes far less than he is actually worth. In the past, this has caused problems with contract renegotiations and fair market value from the player’s point of view. Sheldon Brown is one of the most recent cases of such a strategy and consequential conflict. But, in fairness to the franchise, Brown and players like him have the option of not extending early in their contract.

The payoff can be huge down the line if they continue to stay healthy and exceed expectations on the field. However, the cushion of falling into a large sum of money at an early age and having security seems to win out. Most players aren’t successful enough in their first couple years to make a significant dent in the Eagles’ checkbook. It works for the franchise the majority of the time, yet this year they’re in a different ballpark playing a different ballgame. DeSean Jackson has finally become the aberration that throws the front office’s intention out the window. Already a two-time Pro Bowler in just three NFL seasons, he’s due for a gigantic payday, and he knows it.

If he was just a serviceable receiver at this point in his career, the Eagles likely would have extended him by now. Obviously, that’s not the case and the aftermath of Jackson’s aberrational ways is now a quandary that the team must deal with. The first option is to reach deep into their wallets and pay the man what he’s worth. While biting the bullet will certainly cost them, it will get everything taken care of and keep number 10 in green for a while.

Behind door #2 is the option of waiting the receiver out when it comes to his participation in training camp. At this point, there’s no indication that Jackson will show up, yet under the brand new collective-bargaining agreement, he’ll be fined extensively for each day he misses. He may miss a week to send a message, but it’s unlikely that he holds out forever. He simply can’t afford to, he doesn’t make enough money. There’s some irony.

Jackson’s agent is Drew Rosenhaus, a man who has tried to call the Eagles bluff before and found out the hard way how they respond to such treatment. It’s safe to assume that at some point the two sides will get together and hammer something out. The lifting of the lockout and the pressure packed few days afterward certainly didn’t make things easier for either side to work on an extension.

In the span of a couple of days, the Eagles found out that there would be a new season, signed 10 of 11 rookies, signed undrafted rookies, began training camp, and completed a blockbuster deal for quarterback Kevin Kolb. In the scheme of things, signing DeSean Jackson to an extension should fall beneath those on the priority checklist.

From the franchise’s point of view, Jackson must be signed not only for production and roster reasons, but also because he can quickly let his frustrations show. For a team that places significant value on players being ‘company men’, there’s no room to let a malcontent rub off on the rest of the roster. This is especially true in Philadelphia because they have such a large contingent of young players.

In the end, it would be shocking if the Eagles failed to negotiate an extension for Jackson in the near future. Over time they have found a way to avoid the big payday and pinch some pennies through early extensions. Yet, their most successful pick recently is standing with his hands open and a burlap sack that’s empty. He’s deserved the money and while the Eagles may regret having to fork it over, it’s tough to complain about the results they see on the field.

Follow Mark on Twitter (@Mtrible) for more great Flyers and Eagles thoughts.

Veterans be damned: Eagles ship Brown, Gocong to Browns

We've all been speculating for days about a possible Eagles trade but this wasn't the move we expected: the Eagles have traded CB Sheldon Brown and LB Chris Gocong to the Browns for LB Alex Hall and 4th and 5th round picks in the draft. While on paper it looks like the Eagles didn't get much in return, it's going to be impossible to gauge this trade until we see who the Birds get in the draft. Clearly, with this move, it looks like the Birds are trying to acquire many picks as possible in a deep 2010 draft.

Hall is a strong-side linebacker with 30 career games under his belt. He is thought of as a pretty good pass rusher although he only has 3 career sacks, with zero coming last year. Hall is expected to compete with Moise Fukou for a starting spot but I wouldn't look at him as much of an upgrade over Gocong, another supposedly good pass rushing linebacker who didn't put up big sack numbers in the NFL. Essentially the Eagles swapped one backup linebacker for another.

With Hall and Gocong nearly the same player, the move essentially works out to be an unloading of the disgruntled Brown for a few draft picks. Brown had been unhappy with the Eagles refusal to give him a raise and the Eagles decided they were better off moving their starting cornerback rather than listen to him complain for another offseason. It's a shame, too, because despite all of his whining off the field, Sheldon Brown was the most reliable member of the Eagles secondary on the field. He always gave his full effort despite what he thought about the Eagles front office.

The trade leaves the Birds very thin at cornerback. Ellis Hobbs presumably moves into the second cornerback spot vacated by Brown but he is coming off an injury. One has to assume that the Eagles will be looking to draft a cornerback or two with the 10 (!) picks they have now accumulated for the 2010 draft.

The Eagles continue to jettison veterans left and right. Brown was a good player but he just turned 31 and was entering the downside of his career and we know the Eagles don't keep guys like that around. At this point, one has to assume that the Eagles will complete their youth movement and finally cobble together a trade that sends Donovan McNabb out of town.

Eagles to send 6 to 2010 Pro Bowl (maybe)

The initial Pro Bowl rosters were announced today and the Eagles are going to be well-represented in Miami. As of now, six Eagles have made the NFC team: K David Akers, DE Trent Cole, WR/KR DeSean Jackson, T Jason Peters, CB Asante Samuel and FB Leonard Weaver. Each player, with the possible exception of Peters, is very deserving of a spot and was basically a lock to make the team. Jackson was so good that he even made it for two positions, something that has never happened before.

It's hard to argue that the Eagles should have more players in the Pro Bowl, but a case can be made for Sheldon Brown. Brown has had an excellent year and would certainly be the first cornerback to make the team should one of the current NFC CB's get injured. A case could also be made for Brent Celek and even Donovan McNabb, but both were hurt by playing at positions filled with a ton of talent. Many players end up dropping out of the Pro Bowl so I wouldn't be surprised if an Eagle or two gets added in the coming weeks.

Of course, if all goes well, none of the Eagles will play in the Pro Bowl. Remember, the Pro Bowl is being played the weekend before the Super Bowl during the "dead week", so if the Eagles make the Super Bowl none of their players would play for the NFC. I'm sure they wouldn't be too disappointed if they don't get to suit up for the Pro Bowl.

Eagles/Bears Week 11 Inactives: Brown will play

The Eagles and Bears have announced their inactive players for their Sunday Night showdown:

Eagles: G Stacy Andrews, WR Kevin Curtis, DB Quintin Demps, RB P.J. Hill, LB Akeem Jordan, QB Kevin Kolb, OL Mike McGlynn, RB Brian Westbrook

Bears: TE Desmond Clark, DT Jarron Gilbert, WR Juaquin Iglesias, OL Lance Louis, CB D.J. Moore, S Kevin Payne, LB Pisa Tinosiamoa, DT Matt Toeaina

Sheldon Brown will start for the Eagles despite struggling with an injured hamstring all week. Jason Peters also returns to the field for the Birds after sitting out last week. The only player who is a surprise inactive is Stacy Andrews, who started last week at right guard but has struggled this season to pick up the offense. Andrews isn't injured so the Eagles must feel he brings nothing to the table.

The Eagles players have called tonight's game a "must-win" and "their Superbowl", so let's hope they play with some heart tonight and wipe out a very beatable Bears team. GO BIRDS!

Thoughts on the Eagles first preseason game

(AP Photo/Mel Evans)

Overshadowed by the Michael Vick signing, the Eagles actually played a game on Thursday night! Even though it's only preseason, it's hard not to get excited when you see the Eagles take the field at Lincoln Financial. While the Birds comeback bid fell short against the Patriots, losing 27-25, there was some good that came out of the game. Here are some of the positives and negatives from the Eagles first preseason game.

Positives:
-McNabb and the first team offense. While the first team offense looked sloppy on their first two drives, they began to kick it into gear on the third. Mixing in several shotgun formations, Donovan McNabb, who finished 11 of 18 on the night, led the Eagles down the field with precision, completing passes to three different receivers and letting LeSean McCoy eat up yards on the ground. While the drive ultimately ended in a failure in the red zone with a sack and a field goal, there were some promising signs, especially from...

-LeSean McCoy. The rookie looked really good, eating up yardage on nearly every carry. He finished with 55 yards on 10 carries, a solid 5.5 yards per carry, plus he caught two passes out of the backfield. I have never felt more confident about the Eagles running game when/if Brian Westbrook gets hurt.

-Sheldon Brown. He made a nice play early in the game and later had a pick that pissed Tom Brady off. Sheldon has solidified his starting spot for sure.

-A.J. Feeley. He might be playing for his NFL career now that the Eagles have Vick. Feeley got the bulk of the playing time at QB and had a good showing, leading two touchdown drives and completing 18 of 24 passes for 211 yards. Unless Kevin Kolb is hurt more than has been led on, however, this is likely the end of Feeley's time in Philly.

-Jason Babin. He's on the roster bubble, so picking up the only Eagles sack of the day is a big positive for him.

-Eldra Buckley. Lorenzo Booker better watch his back, Buckley is coming for him. While not particularly great on the ground (23 yards and a TD on 8 carries), Buckley had quite a showing in the passing game, catching 6 passes for 56 yards and a touchdown. With Booker basically doing nothing, Buckley has a great shot at earning the 3rd string running back spot.

Negatives:
-Discipline. The Eagles were penalized 8 times for 98 yards, which is unacceptable. From the beginning of the game, the team seemed out of sorts and sloppy. Perhaps they were shocked by the Michael Vick signing?

-Jeremy Maclin. He fumbled his first touch as an Eagle on a punt return. Not a great way to start your career and not a way to endear yourselves to fans and coaches who aren't happy you held out. He later made 2 catches and had a much better punt return, but that wasn't a good first impression.

-The first team defense. After looking solid on the first drive, the first team defense got picked apart by Tom Brady on the second drive. Brady threw a bomb right to Randy Moss that Asante Samuel interfered with, which put the Patriots deep in the Eagles territory. From there, Brady dinked and dunked short passes to lead the Patriots to a touchdown. They redeemed themselves later when Brown picked off Brady, but they could have done better to put more pressure on the Patriots QB. Brady had a good game overall, completing 10 of 15 for 100 yards and 2 TDs. The second and third units fared much better, limiting the Pats to only a pair of field goals in the second half.

-Jason Peters. The big offseason pickup let the Patriots defensive line get by him for two sacks. I know he's surrounded by second team linemen that he's never played with, but he's gotta do better than that.

-Special teams. This supposedly improved unit gave up a punt return touchdown and had several penalties. Every year we hear that the special teams is going to be the amongst the best in the league and every year they disappoint. Let's hope the Eagles get these kinks worked out.

Eagles acquire CB Ellis Hobbs from Patriots

In a move that may be insurance in case disgruntled cornerback Sheldon Brown holds out, the Eagles acquired cornerback Ellis Hobbs from the Patriots for two 5th round picks, choices 137 and 141 overall. Hobbs has been a starter for the Patriots the last two seasons, picking up 4 interceptions in that time. He is entering the last year of his deal so he will likely be an Eagle for only one season.

While the Patriots secondary was considered pretty awful last season, the acquisition of Hobbs gives the Eagles a crowd of players at the cornerback position. If the Eagles keep Brown, they will have 4 players to fill three spots when you add in Asante Samuel and Joselio Hanson. Hanson recently signed a contract extension, so you can bet the Eagles will want to let him play nickel corner, making Hobbs just a 4th corner should Brown stay in Philly.

In terms of value, Hobbs was a great pickup for the Birds. He provides Sheldon Brown insurance at a very low price. If he doesn't get a lot of time in the secondary, Hobbs also has experience returning kicks, something the Eagles always need help with.

Eagles response to Sheldon Brown's trade demands? Classic

Earlier today, news broke that Sheldon Brown wanted out of Philadelphia. I speculated that the Eagles wouldn't trade Brown, but I didn't expect the Birds to respond to quickly and forcefully. The Eagles released the following statement:

“It’s very unfortunate and counterproductive that Sheldon has chosen to go public with his feelings about his situation," the team said in a statement. "After thorough evaluation by himself and discussions with his family and agents, he chose to accept an extension of his rookie contract early that provided his family financial security for the rest of his life. It removed any concerns about health or performance that all other players in his draft class had to worry about. He has three years remaining on that contract and, after taking the signing bonus and his first two years of salary into account, we feel that Sheldon is being paid fairly. Focusing only on a player’s salary for a given year is not a valid analysis.

“There have been league MVP’s, Super Bowl champion quarterbacks, and perennial Pro Bowlers who have been in a similar situation. All of their teams have required them to wait until their contract expired or there was only one year remaining before any adjustment took place. It is only in the most extraordinary, in fact, less than a handful of circumstances in the last ten years that any players two new years into a contract with three years left have been adjusted. We don’t think this qualifies as an extraordinary circumstance.

“Sheldon’s comments under the circumstances actually serve to devalue him in a trade if we were willing to consider it; which we are not.”

I don't know what's more shocking, the beatdown they gave Brown or the fact that the Eagles actually responded publicly at all? Score one for the Eagles, but this should only further anger Brown. I would expect a holdout now.

Here we go again: Sheldon Brown demands trade

Stop me if you've heard this one before: a cornerback for the Eagles is demanding a trade. No, Lito Sheppard hasn't found his way back on the team, this time it's Sheldon Brown who wants out. According to ESPN, Brown is frustrated with his contract and would like the Eagles to trade him to a team that is willing to give him a better deal. Brown does have a bit of a gripe because he is underpaid compared to what a cornerback of his talent should be making but he is under contract through 2012 following an extension he signed back in 2004. With that many years left on his deal he doesn't have any leverage to force his way out of town.

Just because Brown wants a trade doesn't mean the Eagles will trade him. In fact, reports have already surfaced that the Eagles have flatly denied Brown's request. It would be nice to hope that the Cardinals would want Brown and the Birds could take Anquan Boldin in return, but I don't see the Eagles even thinking about trying to move a young cornerback who costs them so little against the cap. Brown better get used to the idea of staying in Philly.

It's possible Brown is just bringing up this request now because he wants to pressure the Eagles into giving him a new deal. He sees that the Birds recently gave Brian Westbrook a new deal and they just signed Jason Peters, perhaps they would be willing to throw some money Brown's way? There is no way to know what the Eagles are thinking, but I think it's safe to say they won't be trading Sheldon Brown any time soon.

The Eagles destruction of the Rams in 38 seconds

This video pretty much sums up how the Eagles/Rams game went this weekend:

What a hit! Sheldon Brown absolutely CRUSHED Steven Jackson. Jackson got up, and even celebrated making the catch, but that's pretty much the only thing the Rams had to celebrate all day.

Hat tip to whoever it was who uploaded that to YouTube!

Sheldon Brown, Lito Sheppard are co-starters

The Eagles have posted their current depth chart on PhiladelphiaEagles.com. Click here to see it.

Here are some things I noticed:

1. Sheldon Brown and Lito Sheppard are listed as co-starters at right cornerback. Brown is listed first (Brown/Sheppard), so maybe that means he's really the starter and they are just trying to make Sheppard feel better.

2. DeSean Jackson is not listed at WR. Jackson was unable to crack the top six at wide receiver. No, that doesn't mean that Michael Gasperson will make the team ahead of him, but it does mean we should expect more from Jackson in the return game than as a wideout.

3. Shawn Andrews is still listed at starting right gaurd. Max Jean-Gilles is the back-up on paper only at this point. Andrews keeps his starting job out of respect for the situation he is going through, although he will have to earn it when he comes back.

4. Correll Buckhalter is the second string running back. This is a shocker, I thought for sure that Lorenzo Booker would be considered the back-up, although Buckhalter is still more of a "change-of-pace back" when compared to Brian Westbrook.

5. Chris Clemons is listed third at defensive end. Perhaps the dehydration incident has set him back? I thought he was brought in to be a bigger part of the defense.