My Trial By Erosion Of Words

Wow.

What a weekend to be an Eagles fan.

Nnamdi Asomugha. Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie. Cullen Jenkins. Jason Babin. Man.

Cowboys and Giants fans will tell you that these moves don’t mean much. Building your team via free agency (which the Eagles aren’t doing) isn’t the way to go about things. It’s doomed to fail.

They’re all in denial.

Are the Eagles now the team to beat in the NFC as some are saying? No. The Packers still have Aaron Rodgers and that steroid freak Clay Matthews, not to mention a plethora of great young Wide Receivers. They’re still the gold standard at the moment. But are the Eagles close behind them?

You bet your ass they are.

With the moves the Eagles have made in the last few days, anything less than a Super Bowl is a failure.

So here are my thoughts on what has transpired thus far concerning the Eagles:

• I was as shocked as the next person that the Eagles signed cornerback Nnamdi Asomugha on Friday. Even though I mentioned it in my end of the season post in January, I certainly didn’t expect it to happen given that the Eagles got Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie (DRC) in exchange for Kevin Kolb, but they swooped in and got him even after New York Jets head coach Rex Ryan had Adam Sandler call him. 
• Just how good is Nnamdi? He’s given up one touchdown in the last three seasons. One. And he does loads of charity work. Nnamdi is a better human being than you’ll ever be. Praise Nnamdi.
• What does this mean for Asante Samuel? Time will tell I suppose, but it wouldn’t shock me if they traded him. I’d like for the Eagles to keep him though. The guy is still one of the best corners in the game, but it’s a matter of how well he fits into the Eagles new defensive system under Juan Castillo. Asomugha and DRC are press coverage guys. Asante is more of an off-corner that tries to bait the quarterback into throwing his way. I do believe that if the Eagles were going to make a run at the Super Bowl, Asante Samuel needs to be part of it.
• On the Kolb trade: I love what the Eagles received. They got a starting cornerback (DRC) and a second round pick for a guy that they now value as a back-up. The Eagles front office (Joe Banner and Howie Roseman in particular) did a great job of not blinking when they supposedly “lost their leverage” after the Seahawks signed Tavaris Jackson.
• The influence that Michael Vick has had on these signings is huge. Guys want to come play for the Eagles because of Vick. He brings an energy to the team that is unreal. 
• They also want to come because the Eagles have money. I’m not that naive.
• I like the Cullen Jenkins signing as well. Yeah he has a history of injury problems, but the guy is a great pass rusher, which the Eagles desperately needed.
• Ditto on Jason Babin, who had a breakout season last year under the tutelage of Jim Washburn (now with the Eagles) and the Tennessee Titans.
• Not too worried about DeSean Jackson’s hold out. The guy is grossly underpaid and deserves a new contract. I just wish he had gone about things a bit differently. He’ll get his money.
• On that note, I imagine once the Eagles extend Michael Vick’s contract and re-structure his deal, DeSean will quickly get a new contract. Vick is owed $16 million this season under the franchise tag policy- a number that will surely go down once he receives an extension.
• I really wish new backup QB Vince Young hadn’t made his “dream team” comment. I think it is being blown out of proportion, but he shouldn’t have said it. As if the target wasn’t already placed squarely on the Eagles back after they got Nnamdi.
• While the Eagles certainly have great defensive backs, the group of linebackers that are currently on the team is still a big question. Jamar Chaney is good, but he only played in a handful of games last year. Moise Fokou wasn’t very consistent last year. The biggest question mark will be rookie Casey Matthews, brother of the aforementioned Clay Matthews. He is currently the starting middle linebacker, which scares me. You never want your middle linebacker, essentially the quarterback of the defense, to be a rookie. While I think Casey Matthews will be a solid player, it is easy to forget that he was a 4th round pick in the draft and there is probably a reason for that.  It wouldn’t shock me if the Eagles brought in another MLB, just in case Matthews isn’t ready. I suppose I just have to trust Juan Castillo and the other coaches on defense.

So how far can this Eagles team go? I’d be lying if I didn’t say they had potential to win the Super Bowl, but I also know better than to say these free agent signings put them over the top. Nnamdi, DRC, Jenkins, and Babin are nice, but this team will only go as far as Vick takes them. Near the end of the year, Vick struggled. Part of that was due to offensive line play (something that probably improves with Jamaal Jackson returning), but there were times when he made some bad mistakes. If he continues his progression as a true QB, he can lead the Eagles to the promised land. Obviously the linebackers are a huge concern, as are the health of guys like Cullen Jenkins.

It’s going to be a fun year though.

Fly Eagles Fly.