Lurie & Reid react to Dawkins departure
by JasonB on Feb 28, 2009 4:15 PM EST
in Philadelphia Eagles News
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PrintJeff Lurie
"Brian Dawkins has been one of the pillars of this franchise for 13 years. He helped lead us to five NFC Championship games and one Super Bowl. Brian embodies everything you look for in a professional athlete and human being. I have been fortunate to witness his impeccable character, his passion for the game of football and his commitment to being the best player he could be. I look forward to continuing a close relationship with him once his playing days are over. His legacy as an Eagle will last forever and will ultimately land him in Canton as a Hall of Famer."
Andy Reid
Brian is one of the best players in franchise history and one of the most popular players to ever play in the city of Philadelphia. The Eagles organization, as well as the entire fan base, will miss him not only as a player but as a tremendous person. This is the toughest part of my job, no question. He gave this city 13 years of emotional, energetic football. We wish Brian and his family nothing but the best as he continues his career in Denver."
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Kind words
How soon ’til we dry our tears and find a new FS?
by andyreidswaistline on Feb 28, 2009 4:22 PM EST reply actions
Fuck You
Andy and Jeff.
Now go find us a FS in the same caliber as Weapon X
God Speed Brian Dawkins. You shall always be love, and sorely missed!
It shouldn't be that hard
To fill the Dawkins of old, impossible, to replace the Dawkins of the past few years — it won’t be too bad.
I loved Dawkins too but it was time, it was time.
E-A-G-L-E-S EAGLES!!!
as far as on the field, you’re right… locker room… dunno
sad day men
"I tried to run him over but Eli had his big boy pads on and he kind of stopped me from getting in the end zone. The next time I’ll try to jump over his head.’’ - Asante Samuel
Absolutely agree with that.
His leadership role shouldn’t be diminished or disregarded in my humble opinion.
i guess you do make sense , now that iam calming down a bit ,dont you feel just a bit betrayed as an eagles fan rather it be by Dawkins or the FO ? who to replace him though ? i cant even stand my Signature that ive had forever right now ….
"My first and foremost goal is to win a Super Bowl. I also set goals in terms of having a type of year to make the Pro Bowl. If I'm going to the Pro Bowl, I know I'm making plays for the team." Brian Dawkins
Granted, I'm angry and responding more out of emotion right now
But Jeff Lurie, you are a total dick. You and your scarecrow wife.
And same to you Andy. And your scarecrow wife and your pistol-waiving, heroin-shooting, shit-ball kids.
by Baron Dainer Von Tresvant on Feb 28, 2009 4:46 PM EST reply actions
C'mon man... be reasonable...
We all appreciate what Dawkins has done for the Eagles since he came out of Clemson in the second round some 12 or so years ago. He’s been a true team leader in every sense of the word, a multiple pro-bowler and a dominant force in the league.
But he IS 35 and he DID have a slow, panic-prone, and indecisive NFC title game against Arizona. To have matched Denver’s offer would have been reckless and irresponsible. The NFL isn’t about loyalty to anyone. Players, coaches, even front office guys are all replaceable.
And as for taking a cheap shot at Andy Reid’s kids… c’mon man. That’s unnecessary. First off, that’s just uncalled for. Plus, Andy probably had very little say in any of this.
I am a bit worried headed into next year, though. Our biggest free agency signing has been… Stacy Andrews? Really? I know he’s good, but we still have FB, RB, TE, and now FS to deal with. Oh, and unless Winston Justice magically becomes a not-total-suck player, we need another OL guy since it looks like Tra Thomas might not be back.
by cybourgeoisie on Feb 28, 2009 5:10 PM EST up reply actions
ha ha
same thing i was doing earlier i was pissed out of my mind lol
"My first and foremost goal is to win a Super Bowl. I also set goals in terms of having a type of year to make the Pro Bowl. If I'm going to the Pro Bowl, I know I'm making plays for the team." Brian Dawkins
When Denver comes to town next year
Lurie deserves a big, “Lurie Sucks” chant.
by Baron Dainer Von Tresvant on Feb 28, 2009 4:47 PM EST reply actions
instead it should be
an hour long standing ovation to the legend that is weapon x
"Howard, he know me" Rudy
by phillyduck23 on Feb 28, 2009 7:58 PM EST up reply actions
Dawk it's been fun
I don’t think we’ll ever see the likes of B. Dawk ever again.
I'm devastated about Dawkins.
Simply an incredible career with the team, the fans; I don’t think we’ll see that again either. Maybe a player as good, maybe one with the team as long — but not that good of a player, with the team that long, with such a connection to the fans.
About the team:
Without the Weapon we have Demps and Mikell at safety, Samuel and Brown at corner with Joselio Hanson behind.
In the backfield we have Booker and Westbrook.
What do we do about RB? If we stick with Westbrook, Booker, and a RB in the draft we’re taking some serious chances. Westbrook’s health is nowhere near guaranteed throughout the season and if he gets injured we have a rookie and Booker in place of Buckhalter and a rookie. See last season for how that kind of running game worked out.
Which is like last-season lite and we all know how that running game went.
What do we do about our defensive backfield? I’m not at all convinced that Demps can step in with Mikell and lock down the safety position, but clearly those two are going to have to unless we find a safety in free-agency.
We still need a tight end.
The only way I feel good about the shape of our team is if we find a starting safety, a 2nd back of Buck’s caliber, a TE who can block to complement Celek, a FB, and probably an O-lineman. We’ve had these holes in the past, at special teams, at FB; this is setting up that way. We’ve got the cash but where do we find the players to sign?
by rockaintdeadyet on Feb 28, 2009 5:40 PM EST reply actions
Good stuff.
I think Leo Weaver is still available at FB… that’s where to start.
Draft should net us Pettigrew and Beanie in the 1st. 2nd round will get us an OL. Jack Ikewongnu moves to FS and splits time with Demps.
by cybourgeoisie on Feb 28, 2009 5:51 PM EST up reply actions
Standing Ovation
We all owe dawkins at least a 10 minute stading ovation when he comes to philly and we should let him walk out the tunnel again. man that would be awesome. love you dawk
The Math
Dawkins got $7.2 MM guaranteed. Would giving him $8 MM over two years guaranteed totally unreasonable? I don’t know. We know all this contract is really for only for two or three years, he’ll be cut. With all that cap space, it would be nice for the eagles understand Dawkin’s value to the team and pay up. This organization is happy just competing I guess, and I don’t know what to think of that. We have had a great run, great players, good coaching (like JJ), but as close as we are right now, the FO will not put us over the top. I guess they have managed to lower my expectations, something I wouldn’t be surprised that they were happy to hear.
Dawkins was the only player out of all our major contributors (Reid included) who actually looked sad when the eagles lost. There is no one else like that on the team. I’m going to take some time off of football….
www.okupy.com
I expect Dawkins asked them to add years onto the contract he would never expect to play, so he didn’t spit in the Eagles’ faces.
I think there are alot of young leaders on our defense, and I expect someone to step up. Stewart Bradley?
I think this assures that we will be drafting safety in the second round. There are some really good prospects this year.
Taylor Mays
It would’ve been nice to have him available this year even though he would’ve gone somewhere between 10-15.
by chrisbeomsuh on Feb 28, 2009 7:15 PM EST up reply actions
WOW both of those quotes give you every reason WHY you should keep dawkins, I’m sorry but this is one of the worst moves ever, I am extremely dissapointed with the front office.
Lets get rid of Lurie, Bannar, and Reid this is one of the worst mistakes they have made, they are all on McNabb’s dick and don’t care about Dawkins, tell me who is going to get everyone pumped up next year?
You have to be kidding me?
Someone will step up and lead. We have someone who covers extremely well and likes to hit.. What’s his name again? Sheldon? He can lead.
It was a great move and you would have to be downright STUPID to match Denver’s offer, just stupid.
Guys I love Dawkins. Watching the press conference was… Wow…. It was surreal to say the least. But it was time to part ways. He’s just a shell of what he once was.
E-A-G-L-E-S EAGLES!!!
I agree that someone will try to step up and maybe even do a good job...
But to lead like Dawkins did? With that intensity? His character? I hope I’m wrong but I don’t see it happening any time soon.
The whole "leader" thing is over rated.
These guys are grown men getting lots of money to do a job. Do they really need a guy in the locker room to make them play well?
E-A-G-L-E-S EAGLES!!!
We have plenty of vets on that defense.
Mikkell, Brown, Samuel, etc… We’ll be alright!
E-A-G-L-E-S EAGLES!!!
Should they need or do they need?
They shouldn’t but too many of the do. I think the perfect example is last seasons Cowboys.
Too many star athletes do not act like the grown man they are. Instead they act like petulant overpaid sniveling kiddies.
I will admit that the Reid era Eagles has not seen too many of these types but we’ve had a few.
+1 i agree maybe they should bring in ray ray
he would pump up the team , wow iam dreaming ……
"My first and foremost goal is to win a Super Bowl. I also set goals in terms of having a type of year to make the Pro Bowl. If I'm going to the Pro Bowl, I know I'm making plays for the team." Brian Dawkins
Giving Up
I cannot watch this team anymore. Trade Lito for nothing. Let Buck go to start in Denver. Now this? The heart and soul of the Eagles D is now a Denver Bronco? How can an organization just cast this man aside. It is better to use up some cap room and let him retire here, in Philly, as an Eagle. This is by far the most disrespectful move to the fans and the player that this team has ever made, and that says quite a bit giving their track record. The only up side would be for them to do this to McNabb too.
by givingupondabirds on Feb 28, 2009 7:50 PM EST reply actions
Exactly
And shit, we were lucky to get ANYTHING for Lito.
I feel like only 25% of the board knows how the NFL works. Do we have a lot of teens post here or something?
E-A-G-L-E-S EAGLES!!!
I cannot watch this team anymore. Trade Lito for nothing. Let Buck go to start in Denver. Now this? The heart and soul of the Eagles D is now a Denver Bronco?
And shit, we were lucky to get ANYTHING for Lito.
I feel like only 25% of the board knows how the NFL works. Do we have a lot of teens post here or something?
I agree wholeheartedly. Buck was gone from Day 1. He’s proved he’s good enough to start but he’s not better than Westbrook, and the Eagles have made it clear they are not going to give him enough carries to make him feel like a co-starter. That’s old news.
Lito is also old news … getting a fifth for a player we would almost certainly cut would’ve been nice. Getting a fifth and potential second for him is huge. Plus his salary (not that it was huge) is off the books and his roster spot is open. Considering he gave us almost nothing last year, and he’s way more talented than that, that’s addition by subtraction.
I think we can say the same for LJ and Considine.
So really the only major loss here is the heart and soul of Dawkins, which is admittedly not easily replaced. I don’t think the Birds were really prepared for him to go elsewhere.
But it’s not like this team is suddenly going to stink. We have cap space, draft picks and a mostly young nucleus. It’s OK to be emotional about Dawk, but to give up on the team is just dumb. Please, sell me your season tickets.
Yeah that press conference was tough to watch
But you’re right. Once everyone gets over the emotional aspect we’ll be OK.
Look, we had over 1000 posts over this whole Dawkins thing. What does that tell you? The guy meant alot to us, as a player and a person. Give me 53 guys with his attitude and you won’t want to play my team.
But all good things come to an end and we must move on.
one way we could replace his emotion
is by going out and getting ray lewis(although odds are he isn’t going to leave the ravens) He could also help out our young lbs a lot.
"Howard, he know me" Rudy
Yeah
Doesn’t make much sense.
Plus, how do we know there aren’t any solid leaders in the locker room? Nobody’s ever had to lead in Dawkins’s absence, so there’s really no way to know.
I realize Stewart Bradley or Sheldon Brown won’t do the gameday theatrics that get the fans hyped like Dawkins, and trust, I loved the guy … but maybe one of them or Trent Cole could develop into a sufficient on-field leader.
Frankly, I’d love for the MLB to run things like that, and everyone says Stewart’s sharp upstairs.
oy
ya let b dawk go why? its absolutely stupid move, dawk proved he had gas in the tank in the home stretch when it really counted, i look at the dallas game in philly and he kicked ass, at the same time, there were some plays were dawkins, demps, and mikell, were on the field at the same time, so demps may not be bad, but its a shame to have let go of dawk, chances are hes gonna have a hugh douglas type of thing happen to him, this is horse crap.
He proved it?
Is that why he was so bad in the championshp game? Because he has so much left in the tank?
E-A-G-L-E-S EAGLES!!!
follow up
with that said, Philly should retire the mans jersey, i know there will never be another #20 like b dawk, and quite frankly i dont think anyone else deserves to wear that number.
I'm sure that'll come
with time.
You have not seen the last of that No. 20 in the stands … and maybe not in the Eagles organization.
I've always wanted a reason to root for the Donkeys since I moved here...
Hated Elway, Hated Shanny.
Shanny’s gone – Dawk and Buck are here…
Wait – maybe I’ve got a new favorite AFC team….
Dawkins
I have had the great fortune of meeting Brian Dawkins several times the last few years. He is a spiritual, emotional, captivating individual. This was off the field. His intensity on the field is second to none. Unfortunatly, the management and head coach COULD NEVER, HAVE EVER AND WILL EVER understand that dedication to the common goal. Andy Reid and Mr. Lurie, I have had it. You have made decisions that I have not agreed with, and you did not disappoint yet again. Lito, Runyan, Dawk, Correll. All players that gave all they had to an organization, and they were cast aside. But what happens now? What brilliant plan do you have.? I have NO, ZERO, NADA FAITH IN YOUR DECISION MAKING ANY LONGER. I am embarrassed to be an Eagles fan today. The Flag is down, but will I put it up again next year, I am not so sure. Thank you #20.
Could you tone down the hysterics?
Lito quit on the Eagles last year, by the end of the season Hanson was the 3rd CB and even Demps was more effective in the Dime package. Runyan is 35 and just had knee surgery that will keep him out for 4-6 months and that’s assuming he’ll get healthy enough to play again. Correll wanted to go somewhere were he’d get a chance to start. How can you sit there and complain about the Eagles not being committed to winning while asking for Reid and Co. to start Buckhalter over Westbrook? How is that even possible?
Dawkins is not what he once was. As has been discussed repeatedly #20 struggled playing deep, he was most effective when playing up near the line. ‘Course, as the FS his primary job is supposed to be supporting the CBs by playing in the deep zone. Never mind that the Eagles had to re-structure their defense during the season because Dawkins was physically incapable of handling the deep ball. Never mind that he struggled to cover deep or help out on the sidelines like he used to. Never mind that at 36 he doesn’t have 5 more years left in the league. I’m going to miss Brian Dawkins immensely. But if the Eagles are going to spend big money at Safety then they should invest those dollars in someone who can actually do the things an NFL FS is expected to do.
The monster at the end of this blog.
cast aside correll? the dude has two reconstructed knees, both sustained during his tenure here. we kept him around for a long time…we gave him the chance. we should have used him more, but we kept him around much longer than most others would, seeing as how his knees were prone to blowing out completely.
your plan seems that if someone is loyal to the org, you don’t drop them ever…runyan was great, but he’s agin and busted his knee. dawk is aging, lito is not an attitude i want around the eagles, and buckhalter was addressed above.
You are right
The Eagles don’t owe Correll Buckhalter a damn thing. Buckhalter owes his entire career to Andy Reid’s patience.
This is horrible
I feel worse hearing the news of Dawkins departure than I did after the NFC Championship game, I am sick. he is my favorite player and an all around great human being. I know that football is a business and the FO made a decision based on numbers and what’s best for the team not based off emotion. Still the sting of watching his press conference was horrible, I am an eagle fan for life, and i live in New Mexico so I hate the Broncos because every one is either a cowboy or bronco fan but I will be rooting for Dawkins until he retires he was a class act and the greatest Eagle player of all time i my mind and will remain that way. Good luck Weapon-X…. On the bright side now they will have more locker space without his two lockers….too soon not funny just trying to laugh through my tears
Goodbye B-Dawk
Brian has brought us so many years of hard hitting, bone crushing entertainment that any real Eagles Fan would be upset to lose him. The one that comes to my mind is in the NFC Championship Game vs the New Orleans Saints. Dawk hit Reggie in like the first minute of the game. I thought Reggie would of never got back up.
Brian will be missed and I wish him well, but in this league. You have to caught them before you can hit or tackle them. I believe B-Dawk lost a step. I will still wear my #20 Dawkins jersey to all the games. Respecting one of the Greats! God Bless #20
Lurie and Reid
I have been on thier side through every controversy they have face over the years but this is too much
UNFORGIVABLE
Seventy-one percent of the world is covered by water, the rest is covered by Brian Dawkins
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