FanPost

Is it time to respect Reid's personnel prowess?

We give him grief for his time management, his refusal at times to establish the run, and the Eagles' ineffectiveness in short-yardage and end-of-half situations. And sometimes rightfully so.

Andy Reid's personnel moves have been questioned too, especially by those dying for a top-flight wide receiver. But when you step back and look at this year's team, especially the almost-completely-homegrown defense, you have to tip your Eagles cap. The strength of the team is built mostly with draft picks and free-agent signings from the past few seasons. And it's a defense where even a "street" free-agent signing has displaced a one-time Pro Bowler, and an undrafted player starts at each level of the defense.

Further, I can't really name a player in the Reid-Banner-Heckert era that the Eagles have given up on only to watch him go on to greatness elsewhere. Not Jeremiah Trotter (twice), Takeo Spikes, Bobby Taylor, Troy Vincent, Duce Staley or Hugh Douglas. Terrell Owens left for obvious reasons, and Derrick Burgess made the Pro Bowl for the Raiders, but the Eagles wanted him back.

Even the free-agent moves the Eagles don't make have seemed to work out. Remember when we needed a reciever and you wanted the Birds to sign Eric Moulds? Yeah.

So isn't it time to give up some respect? Admit it, you love Stewart Bradley and Brodick Bunkley and Brent Celek now.