READ, REACT, and FACE THE TRUTH!! CHANGE OUR PHILOSPHY ASAP!!

[mcarlt]

I've been struck with a case of bird envy, and it's not Toucan Sam-related like last time. I want to say I'll get through this, but I just don't know.

You see, the Philadelphia Eagles are everything my Washington Redskins aren't. The Eagles rarely overpay their players, they rely heavily on the draft, they don't cave in to outlandish demands by egotistical players and they sign 24-year-olds, not 34-year-olds, to long-term deals.

Throw in the fact they've had the same managerial structure for the past half-dozen or so years and one of the game's longest-tenured coaches, and it has me wondering: What's not to like about the green and white? (Cough, their fans).

Will Jason Campbell add to 'Skins fans' misery this season or prove to be a bright spot? (Getty Images)

Now, the Redskins, meanwhile, do just about everything wrong. They don't draft (New York in April is sooo touristy), they overpay just about everyone and have only one consistency in the managerial structure: inconsistency.

That's why I have Eagles envy. And something of late has that deadly sin kicking into high gear. It's the Eagles' propensity to dish out long-term deals to young, rising stars.

In case you missed it, last week Philadelphia locked up wide receiver Reggie Brown to a five-year deal. I won't bore you with the details, but it's a reasonable number of greenbacks that will keep the 25-year-old in green through 2014. That's so un-Redskins, it's fantastic. Washington's sort-of-GM Vinny Cerrato wouldn't even know how to draft such a contract. He'd mistakenly slip in two no-trade clauses, several FedEx Field handicap parking stickers and Joe Gibbs' youngest son.

But Brown's deal is just the tip of the iceberg. Earlier this year defensive tackle Mike Patterson received a seven-year extension and defensive end Trent Cole inked a five-year contract. Two more reasonable deals for a pair of solid down linemen. To quote Monty Burns, "That's capital!"

But wait, there's more. Earlier, earlier this year, punter Dirk Johnson signed a six-year contract extension.

But wait, there's even more. Earlier, earlier, earlier this year, guard Shawn Andrews signed a contract extension through 2015 and center Jamaal Jackson got locked up through 2013.

Add running back Brian Westbrook's five-year deal in '05 and cornerbacks Lito Sheppard and Sheldon Brown, who signed five- and six-year deals in '04 and, it's safe to say there's a bit of a trend here.

The Eagles' recipe is simple: Draft a lot of players -- 29 over the past three years -- and odds are, a few pan out. Notice the ones quickly reaching their potential and justly reward them. It's such an organic philosophy I'm surprised Whole Foods isn't catering the team's lunches gratis.

But why would these players do it? If they just wait a couple more years, odds are teams like the Redskins will offer them riches beyond anything the Genie in Aladdin could. Patterson's agent, Josh Luchs, sums it up nicely:

"This is about what's best for Mike Patterson," Luchs told the Philadelphia Inquirer. "Mike understands that he'll be making a little bit less than if he'd played his (original) deal out, stayed healthy and become a free agent. But to remove the injury risk is a big thing."

But it's not just about injuries, it's about players seeing a good thing and wanting to stay with it:

"I'm not good at predicting the future, but (based) on the things (the Eagles) have done in the past I feel comfortable in how they are going to do things in the future," Patterson told the Inquirer.

So few times in sports do contracts actually benefit the player and the team. But the Eagles are starting to figure it out. The team keeps a young, rising player at a reasonable rate (signing bonuses spread over long contracts are team-friendly) and because of the bonus, the player is assured of spending his 20s as a millionaire, regardless of whether he tears an ACL. How can anybody associated with sports not like this set-up?

Sure, it's not all peaches and cream and there's certainly room for criticism. Donovan McNabb's astronomical 12-year, $115 million deal may never see its completion, but geez, those are some big numbers for a quarterback who can't keep his lunch down in the biggest game of his life.

And contracts are a tricky subject. There's no question players perform just a bit differently in contract years than they do after they've signed the big one -- so locking up so many players to so many long-term deals is risky.

Let's say the Eagles win Super Bowl XLI this season. With nearly 20 percent of the team locked into these long deals, Eagles brass would be playing with fire. Without the incentive to play for a big, fat contract and with the Super Bowl drive extinguished, there's likely going to be a little complacency in the clubhouse.

Of course, that's a problem any Eagles fan would love to have. But still, some would say it's a bit alarming; signing so many players with so little track record to so many long-term deals.

But really, how much more does a coach and GM need to see to make a proper evaluation? They've got tape on these kids going back to their high school days, medical charts that could fill the Library of Congress and after the Terrell Owens fiasco, they're not going to commit to players with questionable character.

So, there are reasons to give a John Belushi eyebrow raise to the Eagles' unorthodox managerial approach, but I have a feeling it's going to work.

They picked their spots wisely. A couple of young cornerbacks here, a couple of linemen there and one or two skill players thrown in for flavor. What they're doing is putting together a core group of players who drink the Philly juice and, in doing so, make sure the franchise has a foundation in place. And with that settled, they can start adding some intriguing pieces here and there to provide differing dynamics.

On the other hand, my Redskins have only a handful of homegrown, young, core players -- Sean Taylor, Chris Cooley, maybe Jason Campbell -- and because of it, are constantly forced to sign the big-name flavor of the offseason. It's not just frustrating to follow a team without a foundation, it makes purchasing a jersey a real pain in the gluteus maximus. I'm still stuck wearing my LB No. 57 jersey. It's not cheap having to replace those things.

So, with every logical long-term deal a young Eagle signs, it makes me wonder how it's my team, and not the one named after a bird, making its home in the cuckoo's nest.

Oh, it's not just wondering, there's lots of rage involved, too. Lots of rage

[dreamshatterer]

75-62-5. Thats the Redskins overall record against the Eagles. We have 3 Super Bowl Titles. Why should I envy?

[laurent]

The Eagles are at another end of the extreme and while it has worked for them to an extent I wouldn't want our team to operate in the same fashion. The deals that they have handed out to some of their players work fine if they end up producing in the first couple of years in the contract, but if they don't you're stuck with them taking up a roster spot and valuable salary cap space just like if you had a free agency bust.

If we can manage to be somewhere in the middle of those two extremes I'd be overjoyed.

[TK]

Got a link?

[Doodle]

People need to stop giving the cheap Eagles so much credit. Where would they be without McNabb....the same place we are. 6-10 last year and 5-4 this year playing a cake schedule!

[Rdskn4Lyf21]

75-62-5. Thats the Redskins overall record against the Eagles. We have 3 Super Bowl Titles. Why should I envy?

:laugh:

Because it is easier to clean out their "trophy" case.

[authentic]

People need to stop giving the cheap Eagles so much credit. Where would they be without McNabb....the same place we are. 6-10 last year and 5-4 this year playing a cake schedule!

you know what, there's alot of truth to that. Yet, i suppose you can say the same thing about just about every respectable team in the league. You need a good QB to be successful, no matter what.

[Fifty Gut]

congrats on reposting an old article and trying to pass it off as your own

smh

Eagle envy? a first round bust in Patterson, a second round bust in Justice, not to mention a number of late round picks that went no where... they actually drafted that skier dude :laugh:

Eagle envy? locking up players who haven't even proved a full season of worth to multimillion dollar contracts of up to 12 :laugh: years... good luck keeping players happy with that strategy

oh yeah, not to mention not a single SB win

[Westbrook36]

congrats on reposting an old article and trying to pass it off as your own

smh

Eagle envy? a first round bust in Patterson, a second round bust in Justice, not to mention a number of late round picks that went no where... they actually drafted that skier dude :laugh:

Eagle envy? locking up players who haven't even proved a full season of worth to multimillion dollar contracts of up to 12 :laugh: years... good luck keeping players happy with that strategy

oh yeah, not to mention not a single SB win

Patterson is a bust? By what standard? How is Justice a bust when he is an OT and we have clear cut OTs who are playing at a high level. It is funny to call a guy a bust who hasn't played an NFL snap yet because there are great players ahead of him; all while knowing he was drafted for the future.

I will agree with you on the late round picks though. Trent Cole was taken in the 5th round (coincidentally for the pick we got for Jimmy Thrash) and he now has half as many sacks as YOUR ENTIRE TEAM.

I love how whenever anything is posted about the Eagles philosophy, the only thing people can talk about is the past and the lack of Superbowls. I guess you guys really enjoy not even having the chance of a SB or even the playoffs, year after year after year.

You have to be good, and have a bit of luck to win the big game. I'd rather have a team that consistantly has a chance at the end rather than a team who never has a chance, except in March when they win the offseason SB each and every year.

[authentic]

Patterson is a bust? By what standard? How is Justice a bust when he is an OT and we have clear cut OTs who are playing at a high level. It is funny to call a guy a bust who hasn't played an NFL snap yet because there are great players ahead of him; all while knowing he was drafted for the future.

I will agree with you on the late round picks though. Trent Cole was taken in the 5th round (coincidentally for the pick we got for Jimmy Thrash) and he now has half as many sacks as YOUR ENTIRE TEAM.

I love how whenever anything is posted about the Eagles philosophy, the only thing people can talk about is the past and the lack of Superbowls. I guess you guys really enjoy not even having the chance of a SB or even the playoffs, year after year after year.

You have to be good, and have a bit of luck to win the big game. I'd rather have a team that consistantly has a chance at the end rather than a team who never has a chance, except in March when they win the offseason SB each and every year.

i knew this was going to happen. :doh: Honestly, we have no right to talk about the Eagles right now, they just whipped us last week.

[Fred Jones]

If we can manage to be somewhere in the middle of those two extremes I'd be overjoyed.

I agree with this philosophy. The Eagles make mistakes like every other team and I and others have pointed out those mistakes in other threads. The Eagles also do some things right, which again I and others have pointed out. However, I don't like the Birds so I don't want to talk about them.

Reference the skins this subject has been debated. The skins did a poor job evaluating talent. If AA was tearing it up everyone would be praising the pick up. The FO simply failed to properly evaluate AA and did not determine is weaknesses.

I like using the FA market to pick up players, but I just think we continually give up too many draft choices to bring in players. Use both FA and the draft to get talent. Yes, throw the occasional draft pick away, but set a limit and keep to that limit.

[Bang]

Ah, y'lost me with that word "overpay" right up in the top of the rant.

Overpay.. the term means there will be some sort of penalty for paying too much,, but as any fan with eyes can see,, the salary cap is nothing but a boogieman.

Oh wait,,, hang on,, let me guess... THIS will be the offseason the cap FINALLY comes and bites the Redskins???

Enough with the fear over cash. It is the single stupidest worry in the NFL, especially around here.

~Bang

[Spaceman Spiff]

Some of these replies are just retarded.

Yeah, they don't have our superbowl trophies, but lets stop living in the past. They made it to three straight NFC championship games and to a superbowl.

I'd rather have that than what we have with this current sack of **** team.

It's so easy as skins fans to laugh at the Eagles and make fun of their empty trophy case, I've done it before too. But at this rate they'll win one before we do.

Bang, it's not the fear of overpaying, it's the fact we spend for FA's and a good chunk of the time they suck. Deion, Jeff George, Bruce Smith, Archuleta, etc, they all cost a lot and they all suck ass.

[skinsfan93]

This is stupid. Ever lived in Philly. The fans are ready to boot Reid if he doesn't have a winning season this year because of the fact that he is so stringent on what he wants to do. He doesn't go get the missing pieces when he can and his coaching never varies from game to game or even during the game.

Try having envy to a team that wins it overall. If this was about the Patriots, that would be different.....not the Eagles who have gone to one Superbowl in the 8 years that Reid has been there.

[Guest gayformoss]

you suck turn in your Redskins gear and move to philly

[Guest gayformoss]

how many superbowls have the eggles won?

you Donkey

[Spaceman Spiff]

how many superbowls have the eggles won?

you Donkey

Stop living in the past.

[bedlamVR]

How many superbowls are they gong to win .... the Eagles window is closing they are missing more than they are hitting with thier draft picks these days McNabb always keeps them in contention like Farve in GB but they give out big contracts to players who have shown some flash but not consistanncy $25 million to a guy who has had half a good year is crazy especially when you have paid over $90 million at the same position to two other guys almost twice what the Skins have paid for guys like Carter and Daniels... Makes the skins look cheep

[TK]

Some of these replies are just retarded.

Yup.

how many superbowls have the eggles won?

you Donkey

you suck turn in your Redskins gear and move to philly

Let me know when you have something worthwhile to bring to table. Until then, hush child.

[Monte51Coleman]

how many superbowls have the eggles won?

you Donkey

gay for moss?