Many Unanswered Questions on the Eagles Remain

As the Philadelphia Eagles prepare for their third pre-season game tomorrow night against the Jacksonville Jaguars, many questions still linger regarding the team and how they will fare in the upcoming season. By most accounts, the team had a very productive off season after a run to the NFC Championship Game in January, so on paper, the Eagles appeared to be a Super Bowl contender before training camp opened.

Now that a few weeks have passed, that assessment seems a bit more tenuous as several question marks still persist, while others have arisen. The biggest concerns surround the health of the team's offensive line. After all, as the NFL coaching fraternity tends to say, everything starts up front- and this is particularly true with the pass heavy Eagles offensive approach.

Concerns are not limited to the front line, though. Obviously, several emanate from a recent team addition as an hour does not pass without a TV or news blurb on the topic. Depending on how these lingering issues unfold, the fate of the team could vary widely. As testimony to the high competitive balance in the NFL, the Eagles season could range from disappointing to conceivably competing for the Super Bowl title.

Here are some, but surely not all, of the questions surrounding the 2009-2010 edition of the Eagles:

▪ Can Stacy Andrews and Jason Peters fulfill their advance billing and measure up to the team's commitment to them? At this point, even more pressing is whether they will see the field?
▪ Will Shawn Andrews find his way back onto the field on a regular basis? If so, will he return to the Pro Bowl form of the past?
▪ Can rookies Jeremy Maclin and LeSean McCoy make the adjustment to the NFL well enough to contribute similarly to DeSean Jackson last season? Both show flashes of wonderful potential that needs to be consistently present as the team is probably relying on their contributions more than any rookies in previous seasons in the Andy Reid era.
▪ Will Bryan Westbrook come close to the form that he showed in the 2007-2008 season, or will he be last season's part-time, limited performer?
▪ Will Michael Vick add enough to the offense to compensate for the distractions and make his signing worthwhile? On a more basic level, will he fulfill his commitment to the team in regard to conduct and behavior?
▪ Can Donovan McNabb continue where he left off in January? Will he prosper or falter through the almost inevitable quarterback controversies that will ensue?
▪ Can Joe Mays or Omar Gaither step up to fill the big hole created by MLB Stewart Bradley's season ending injury?
▪ Will a true leader emerge on the defense to fill the vacated shoes of the former Eagles icon Brian Dawkins?
▪ Will the players and coaches respond well to the Michael Vick experiment by not allowing the distractions to disrupt team chemistry or game preparation?
▪ Can the secondary come together to once again become a team strength needed to make their defensive scheme work?
▪ Can Sean McDermott come close to replacing one the NFL's best and most beloved defensive coordinators, Jim Johnson?

Tomorrow night, Reid and his coaching staff hope to gain some valuable insight and possibly gather some answers. Certainly, other questions will remain that will only be answered under the spotlight of the network cameras, when the games count in the regular season. All teams have question marks as they head into each campaign, but this Eagles team would seem to have more than its fair share, particularly considering that they are widely viewed as Super Bowl contenders.

I'm Just Saying......

A weekly collection of random thoughts and observations for you to consider.

• How good is your team when Cole Hamels is currently your 4th best starting pitcher?
• Odds are that Brett Favre was that kid riding his bike with no hands saying "Hey, look at me!"
• Considering the current medical state of the Eagles offensive line, a better use for the recently committed $7 million in payroll might be to add John Runyan.
• Jayson Werth and Ryan Howard are officially "En Fuego" after each recording multiple hits and banging long home runs to centerfield last night. (See "Things We're Tracking" on the left for others.)
• The Phillies offense is starting to look like it deserves a moniker similar to "The Lumber Company" or "Big Red Machine" nicknames from the 70's.
• Was it just me, or did Eldra Buckley look a little like Marion Barber running that screen play?
• Last night's Donovan McNabb to DeSean Jackson 39 yard touchdown pass was perfectly executed and could be a preview of the success they will have when the games count.
• Its a little early to predict doom and gloom for the Birds' upcoming season based on their first two pre-season games.
• Joe Blanton showed mental toughness by not unraveling after a misplayed pop fly double and a hurdling, jagged bat barrel helped the Diamondbacks plate two runs in the 4th.
• Brad Lidge is throwing harder this year, didn't exactly paint the corners last year, and the last season he struggled so mightily he later discovered that he was tipping his pitches. I'm just saying....it would be worth a closer look by Rich Dubee.

Reflecting on Michael Vick, Philadelphia Eagles

A few days have passed since the Philadelphia Eagles shocking announcement that they had signed Michael Vick to a 2009 contract with an option for 2010. Because the news was unanticipated and sudden, there was no chance to formulate thoughts on the situation prior to the story breaking. My previous thoughts on Vick re-launching his career centered on which team might take the risk to sign him, but it had not even occurred to me that the Eagles might be considering signing him.

After reflecting on the matter, observing the groundswell of reaction, reading and listening to the widely ranging opinions and watching those most closely involved, my own thoughts have started to sort out. It is safe to say that those thoughts will continue to evolve as more data becomes available when conjecture starts turning into reality- good, bad or indifferent.

It is very obvious that this business transaction and this player evoke strong reactions that skew towards opposite ends of the spectrum as opposed to a typical bell curve. For me personally, after allowing a few pages on the calendar to turn, my current mindset is not about passing judgment on Vick, but rather centers on the business decision made by the Eagles. As an unabashed animal lover, it is sometimes hard to not fixate on some of the unsavory details of the past, but this business transaction will prove itself by what happens now and in the future.

From that perspective, it is truly difficult to understand what the Eagles were thinking and how this signing makes sense? Although "gut" instincts are often key components, successful business decision making is about evaluating the pros and cons, the risks and rewards, and the magnitude of the upside and downside. So, from a purely business decision quality standpoint, it is hard to imagine the pros, rewards and upside envisioned by the Eagles organization could possibly outweigh the cons, risks and downside.

There is no question that adding Vick to the team has already had and will continue to have a polarizing effect on the community, fan base, media, and most importantly, others in the Eagles locker room. This will undoubtedly cause distraction and likely challenge team unity. Additionally, NFL quarterbacks looking over their shoulder very rarely results in a positive outcome. This is especially true in Philadelphia, where fan and media opinion is very strong, and where Donovan McNabb performs best when the winds of sentiment are mostly at his back. It will only take a less than stellar game or two, or a couple losses, before the noise will crank up whether Vick should take over at the helm. And, this signing is very likely detrimental to the development of Kevin Kolb.

In exchange, the Eagles would seem to get a player to run 2-3 Wildcat formations or other gadget plays each game. It is conceivable that by some unfortunate circumstance such as an injury to McNabb, Vick would provide insurance; however, the team has indicated that Kolb is #2 on the depth chart.

I believe the world champion team across the street has it right in that they put a premium on their culture and team chemistry. The best case scenario for the Eagles would seem to be that team chemistry will not be affected, but all other scenarios head south from there.

All in all, when evaluating this transaction from a pure business decision basis, this seems to be very unbalanced and ill advised. This is especially true considering that the Eagles had an excellent off season, further strengthening a team that was one touchdown drive from going to the Super Bowl. They did not need to roll the dice, particularly with the odds against them and the downside risk so great. Lets hope that ultimately Michael Vick is a model citizen on the team and in the community, the fans and players rally around him, he makes positive contributions on the football field and the Eagles win the Super Bowl- but the percentages do not seem to be with us.