First off, let me explain that I have a tremendous amount of respect for Rich Hoffman of the Philadelphia Daily News. He’s a very sharp guy and I usually agree with him. I’m not one of these morons that thinks a sportswriter is a dope…
because he expresses an opinion that I disagree with. Hoffman isn’t a columnist for the Daily News by accident; he knows what he’s doing. I am merely questioning the argument that he presented in yesterday’s paper, which is, because the Eagles couldn’t land Fitzgerald or Randy Moss or any other big-time wide receiver, that it shows that Donovan McNabb has lost his juice with the team. Since there isn’t much else to talk about right now, let’s debate.
http://www.philly.com/philly/sports/eagles/20080312_Rich_Hofmann__It_seems_McNabbs_wish_is_no_longer_Eagles_demand.html
I may have misinterpreted the piece, but the Eagles inability to finagle Fitzgerald from the Cardinals has nothing to do with whether or not they still listen to McNabb. Their failed attempt to land Moss (after they offered him more than New England) doesn’t mean they don’t care what McNabb thinks. And maybe they don’t care what he thinks. But I don’t see how this correlates to individuals outside of the organization who weren’t willing to play ball with the Birds.
The fact that they tried tells me just the opposite. And the truth is, they probably didn’t try because McNabb wanted them to in the first place. They tried because they recognized the need to improve at that position. All the information I received on these deals was that the Eagles were going hard after a WR upgrade. And isn’t that all you can ask?
If the Cardinals didn’t want to move Fitzgerald (and they really didn’t), there isn’t much that the Eagles brass can do. That is, short of giving up the farm and damaging the organization for years to come, which isn’t their M.O. If Moss would rather stay where he is comfortable, then offering him more money won’t get it done. And it didn’t.
The Lions don’t want to move Roy Williams. The Bengals would rather punish Chad Johnson and let him sit than trade him (another great move by a sad sack franchise). The Eagles really have not had great options to consider, at least not viable ones. If they paid Javon Walker what the Raiders did, I’d say they were idiots. Bernard Berrian? You’ve got to be kidding with that money. Bryant Johnson hasn’t signed with another team yet for a reason. D.J. Hackett? Please.
The offseason isn’t over and so far we know one thing: The Eagles have been aggressive. They know McNabb and Brian Westbrook have a shelf life. They know they need to start making moves. If they truly went after Fitzgerald and Moss because McNabb wanted them to, then that tells me he has as much juice as ever.
