DT: Reid’s offseason to-do list is a long one

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Bob Grotz: Reid’s offseason to-do list is a long one

http://www.zwire.com/site/news.cfm?newsid=10938352&BRD=1675&PAG=461&dept_id=18170&rfi=6

Bob Grotz , Of the Times Staff 02/09/2004

PHILADELPHIA -- What Eagles chief operating officer Joe Banner pegged last spring as "the most exciting offseason plan we’ve had in a number of years" turned out to be less than exhilarating.

Beyond trading up in the first round to draft pass rusher Jerome McDougle, who was so injury-prone he didn’t register a sack, and other than inviting edge rusher Kabeer Gbaja-Biamila in for a visit, the Eagles were so vanilla even their superstar quarterback wondered what was up.

That the Eagles went 12-4 record and advanced to the NFC Championship Game for the third straight season was less a credit to the offseason plan than the collapse of the NFC East’s New York Giants and the Washington Redskins, who subsequently fired their coaches.

Considering the bumpy 0-2 start, the litany of injuries that claimed a starter almost every week and the fact that the Eagles didn’t win at the spanking new $535 million Lincoln Financial Field until October, the franchise can pat itself on the back for squeezing every last bit of potential out of their roster.

The honeymoon, however, and the string of four straight 11-plus victory seasons will blow out quicker than an anterior cruciate ligament unless Banner, Andy Reid and the Eagles register their most productive offseason plan in a number of years, if you will.

With Tom Coughlin and his no-nonsense approach, the Giants won’t beat themselves twice as they did last year against the Eagles. Nor will the Washington Redskins disintegrate with Joe Gibbs, the multi-Super Bowl champion head coach who seems to hire another assistant every other day to teach his system to an already-talented squad.

If the Eagles want to truly address their most glaring needs they will have to bat 1.000 in the bold move department during the offseason.

To wit, the Eagles require:

- An edge pass rusher the opposition has to double-team until McDougle proves otherwise.

- A middle linebacker who can at least slow down -- if not stop -- therun.

- A home run threat for Donovan McNabb to complement Brian Westbrook and his 13 touchdowns.

- New chemistry.

The good news is the Eagles are positioned to address specific personnel needs in the draft and in free agency.

Assuming Westbrook returns healthy from a torn triceps, the Eagles can at least add depth at wide receiver with the 28th pick in the April 24-25th draft.

If starters Todd Pinkston and James Thrash proved one thing, it’s that they just weren’t physical enough to get open and catch the ball in the biggest game of the season, resulting in a 14-3 loss to Carolina.

In the draft, the Eagles won’t even get a look at wide receiver Larry Fitzgerald, the Pitt superstar who likely will come off the board with one of the first three picks. Reggie Williams (6-4, 215) of Washington probably is a top 10 pick.

The Eagles will be looking at talents like Roy Williams of Texas (6-3, 210), Lee Evans (5-11, 195) of Wisconsin and Rashaun Woods (6-2, 190) of Oklahoma State. All are capable of taking playing time from the Eagles starters who likely will have to battle for their jobs versus third receiver Freddie Mitchell. Williams and Evans are explosive extra-base hitters who stretch defenses.

In free agency, the top talent is Terrell Owens. TO, in case you missed it, also is the top pain in the neck. On a team with a fragile chemistry such as the Eagles, he could be a season/and or coach killer.

Banner and the Eagles can be bold and take a shot at restricted free agent wide receivers Steve Smith of Carolina or Justin McCareins of Tennessee. With almost $23 million of cap room, the Eagles could craft a deal with enough poison pills to add one of those big-play threats. The cost undoubtedly would be more than money, however, as Smith and McCareins would be protected with tenders costing the Birds at least their first-round pick. That, it reads here, would be worth the price.

On the unrestricted market, the top remaining free agent is wideout Darrell Jackson of Seattle. For now, it doesn’t appear as if Mike Holmgren will let Jackson go without a fight. In Carolina, there are rumblings Muhsin Muhammed might be available if he doesn’t renegotiate. A solid playoff season didn’t hurt his chances of staying with the Super Bowl XXXVIII runnerup.

At defensive end, the top unrestricted free agents are said to be Jevon Kearse (Tennessee) and Grant Wistrom (St. Louis). They’re not going anywhere. Adalius Thomas (Baltimore) would be an intriguing addition even though he’s a linebacker. Thomas is big, and talented enough to rush the passer and has played end in a 3-4 alignment. Among the restricted free agents, the Miami Dolphins intend to re-sign pass rusher Adewale Ogunleye.

In the draft, except for Ohio State’s Will Smith (6-3, 265), there may not be a player in the same class as what the Eagles have now in McDougle, the University of Miami product who in all fairness fell behind dramatically after a debilitating hip injury.

At linebacker, the Eagles have perhaps their best opportunity to solve theneed they’ve had since Trotter exited for the Washington Redskins.

Unrestricted free agent Al Wilson, a physical specimen and a playmaker for salary cap-strapped Denver ($2 million over the projected cap), is on several short lists. He would fit neatly into Jim Johnson’s defense. In the draft, the Eagles could take a shot at such physical players as Rod Davis (6-2, 245) of Southern Mississippi or Jonathan Vilma (6-1, 225) of Miami.

Among other needs, the Eagles hope strong-side linebacker Carlos Emmons (unrestricted free agent) recovers from a broken ankle. The Eagles need a tackle to back up Corey Simon and Darwin Walker because -- well -- the only big-time guy at that position in free agency is Warren Sapp.

Defensively the Birds will need a veteran cornerback if both Bobby Taylor and Troy Vincent exit, as expected. Among the unrestricteds, Champ Bailey (Washington) isn’t going anywhere but Ahmed Plummer (San Francisco) and Charles Woodson (Oakland) hail from cap-challenged franchises. Ditto Antoine Winfield (Buffalo) although to a lesser extreme.

There is every reason to believe leading rusher Westbrook and big back Correll Buckhalter will continue to improve at the running back position that will be without Duce Staley for the first time in the Reid era. The Eagles averaged a sparkling 4.8 yards per rush.

On offense, the Eagles need hulking, speedy tight end L.J. Smith to become more comfortable than the rookie who too often fought the ball last year. Smith’s improvement certainly would benefit McNabb. The Eagles also need to add depth on the line where tackles Tra Thomas and Jon Runyan didn’t have their finest seasons, particularly Thomas.

And last, but not least, McNabb has to show up. McNabb was voted to the Pro Bowl despite a so-so season in which he threw just 16 scoring passes against 11 interceptions and averaged a paltry 6.7 yards per pass attempt.

On the chemistry side, the Eagles have a lot of healing to do.

The recent player/management unrest dates back to Jeremiah Trotter’s confrontation with Reid over the franchise tag following the 2001 season.

The Eagles weren’t hitting on all cylinders at the start of this past season partly because the locker room was anything but harmonious during the offseason.

Staley and then Pro Bowl cornerback Taylor boycotted the minicamps -- and in the case of Staley, much of training camp --angling for contract extensions. Taylor and his agent got into a hissing contest with Banner and the Eagles. Staley felt unwanted.

Teammates downplayed the squabbles partly because they felt the quiet wrath of Reid but anyone with the least bit of emotion could feel the turmoil.

McNabb was the first player to speak out -- sort of. Feeling like a stranger because of all of the new faces at minicamp, McNabb called the loss of playmaking linebacker Shawn Barber, future Hall of Fame kick returner Brian Mitchell and others, "tough to swallow." It took McNabb much of the remaining offseason to distance himself from his remarks.

Rallying around John Harbaugh’s special teams featuring Westbrook (two return TD’s) returning punts and Thrash kickoffs, the Eagles played just well enough to survive the Bill Parcells threat in Dallas and secure home field advantage in the playoffs.

But when push came to shove in the postseason the Eagles needed a miraculous reception by Freddie Mitchell on fourth-and-26 and a Brett Favre interception to edge the Green Bay Packers in the divisional round.

The Birds then were shut down and almost shut out by the Carolina Panthers, who intercepted McNabb twice and bruised his ribs.

The images from the loss will remain through the offseason.

The most vivid is McNabb railing at Pinkston for not running the proper pass route on an interception.

The game also featured veteran tackle Runyan getting in the face of Reid, imploring the coach to run the ball more.

It was the game in which -- despite the quarterback’s ribs and the absence of the injured Westbrook -- the personnel decisions, the schemes and the spread-the-wealth system of head coach/chief of football operations/offensive guru Reid were truly exposed. The Eagles managed just three points in the loss. In the last two NFC title games, Reid’s Eagles have scored a total of 13 points.

That’s hardly doing a good enough job of putting people in the right situations, as the Big Guy likes to say.