Fitzgerald fallout puzzles me

by JasonB on Mar 12, 2008 9:08 AM EDT in News Comment 13 comments

Not happening, never was

I can't help but find this whole Larry Fitzgerald thing kinda funny. I'm really shocked about how many Eagles fans are upset that the team didn't get that by all accounts was never on the market. By all reports, Fitzgerald was as available as Donovan McNabb was this offseason. Joe Banner said that if a team offered the Eagles 3 first round picks, they could probably get McNabb... but ostensibly, that meant he wasn't going anywhere. In fact, I said back in early January that Fitzgerald wasn't going anywhere. I said the Cardinals would re-work his deal and that it would only be a matter of time until it got done.

I'm not saying this to brag or pat myself on the back either... I'm saying it because I never saw anything to suggest otherwise over the past few months.

Even so, the message boards are buzzing and the local writers this morning are acting as if some sort of event has happened.

Rich Hoffman is declaring It seems McNabb's wish is no longer Eagles' demand.

Les Bowen has turned to the draft in search of a WR. Actually, the more thought I give the draft the more I think it's possible that we could pick a WR pretty early on. We'll be getting knee deep in draft stuff starting very soon...

Delco Times has already begun fanning the Roy Williams flames. Place your bets now on him becoming the next WR obsession for Eagles fans...

Adam Schefter of NFL Network apparently just wants to torture Eagles fans by claiming that now BOldin could be available from the Cards. Why Schefter?

0 recs | Comment 13 comments

Story-email Email Printer Print

Comments

Hoffman

The Hoffman article is completely ridiculous. This is apparently what he is arguing:

1 -- McNabb says the team could use more weapons.
2 -- Organization desperately tries to acquire new weapons, but has failed so far.

Conclusion: The Organization doesn't care what McNabb has to say.

A-hole.

http://www.sporsdork.com

by BFH on Mar 12, 2008 9:22 AM EDT reply actions 0 recs

Schefter

His report about Boldin irks me. He basically says that Boldin COULD want a larger contract and COULD be upset at his current one. I think sportswriters have gotten to the point where they're just picking wide receivers out of a hat and then saying: "They could be moving; Philly and Dallas are interested."

by ajay on Mar 12, 2008 9:53 AM EDT reply actions 0 recs

Not new

Schefter's speculation isn't anything original. He's just picking up on what has been written in the AZ Republic over a month ago.

Now, the beat writer from the Republic was just speculating as well. It's all really baseless. Whether or not Schefter should be reporting stuff like that on the NFL Network is an open question.

When the media starts these things, they can become a self-fulfilling prophecy.

http://www.sporsdork.com

by BFH on Mar 12, 2008 10:08 AM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

The problem is

That this speculation then gets repeated as a rumor which then turns into fans thinking it's a fact. I've tried to expose this kind of stuff all offseason. The difference between a real rumor and just speculation.

It's not because I want to be a wet blanket or I wouldn't like a big playmaker here... it's because I hate seeing Eagles fans getting their hopes up over something that won't happen. Not for one minute did I think Fitzgerald would go anywhere this offseason, but this rampant speculation drove the expectation so high that the beat writers are acting like the Eagles lost out on something!

That's just crazy. You can't lose out on something that was never there to be had.

You could be in the discussion! Sign up for a free account at Bleeding Green Nation

by JasonB on Mar 12, 2008 10:32 AM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

Well

I disagree with you a bit.

If the Eagles made a trade offer to a team (which was widely reported both in national media and both local markets), it's more than just speculation. There was a legitimate reason for the Fitzgerald hub-bub.

Same thing with Moss.

Now, the Boldin (and likely Roy Williams) stuff is complete crap. Move along, nothing to see here.

http://www.sporsdork.com

by BFH on Mar 12, 2008 10:49 AM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

But

Did they actually make a trade offer? I'd heard rumors about what they MIGHT offer, but I think Banner said on Comcast that they never made any offer.

by ajay on Mar 12, 2008 10:59 AM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

Hmm..

Perhaps that's hard determine. Certainly they inquired, whether or not there was a formal "Lito and a 2nd rounder" offer (which was widely reported in Philly and Phoenix) may never be known.

By the way, just to put a damper on the Boldin speculation before it grows into something more... here's the thoughts of the Cardinals beat guy --

"Along with strong safety Adrian Wilson, he's the soul of this team. When management meets with college scouts to describe the type of player they want to draft, they essentially point to No. 81 and say, "Get us more of this type of guy."

As good as Fitzgerald is, he's not a leader on this team. Boldin is. The Cardinals would be foolish to trade him."

http://www.sporsdork.com

by BFH on Mar 12, 2008 11:04 AM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

This annoys me as well

We are going to be all right. People seem to forget that we still have B-WEST! and McNabb was coming off of knee surgery KNEE SURGERY you don't just bounce back like you are 16 years old, I was impressed with his mobility and ability. Less LJ for the better part of the year and we still did alright. We beefed up our D and have a healthy offense Gene Wojciechowski said in January "If Donovan McNabb's surgically repaired right knee holds up, then the Philadelphia Eagles will be the last remaining undefeated team. ..." We are still that team if not better this year.

by Whodie126 on Mar 12, 2008 10:01 AM EDT reply actions 0 recs

A few comments

I hope the Eagles don't get any WR through trade or free agency this year. I can't think of a trade we can offer that would make sense.

I'm not sure why Eagles fans think we need a superstar WR anyways. We lose 3 straight NFC championship games with no superstar WR, then we win the NFC Championship game was the year we have TO. Oh wait, the go to receiver in that game was Chad Lewis and TO didn't play. I think this is the year the Eagles return to championship form, and that definitely doesn't require a superstar receiver.

I'm not saying a superstar WR wouldn't help, I'm just saying we're not going to be able to acquire one this year. There's none available in free agency, and if there IS one available for a trade, he won't come cheaply. I don't want to give up players to get help on defense. I don't think it's worth losing depth to upgrade the offense, and it's definitely not worth losing starters. Eagles fans should understand the importance of depth more than most fans.

by yomjoseki on Mar 12, 2008 10:35 AM EDT reply actions 0 recs

Typo

I don't want to give up players to get help on offense*

by yomjoseki on Mar 12, 2008 10:37 AM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

drafting a wide receiver

Anyone seriously suggesting that the Eagles use a high round pick to select a wide receiver should take a look at the draft history for the position (http://www.nfl.com/draft/history/fulldraft?type=position&position=Wide%20Receivers). When I look at the list of guys selected from the second half of the first round through, say, the third round, I see a high percentage of misses. Based on this list, you'd consider Reggie Brown a relative success story. And you're trying to use the same level pick to upgrade from him? While the Eagles could definitely use a #1 guy, the question is at what cost. Having another #2 guy or #3 guy isn't going to help.

by dave in san mateo on Mar 12, 2008 4:00 PM EDT reply actions 0 recs

Wide receiver

is a hard position to draft at. Look through all the drafts you will see guys through the first 3 rounds that aren't even in the league but see guys in the 5th-7th that are #1s and #2s. It is hit or miss, Look at 2001 for example we took Freddy Mitchell round 1 pick 25, five picks later same round Reggie Wayne. Chad Johnson went round 2 pick 36 but he isn't even number 1 on his own team T.J. Whoseyourmama is and he was round 7 pick 204 of the same draft.

Can you tell me who Peter Warrick the #4 pick of 2000 was? but you know Laveranues Coles in round 3.

by Whodie126 on Mar 12, 2008 4:15 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

WR

PEOPLE'S CHAMP! Maybe we need to see what our old busts are up to. I'm sure Na Brown and Freddie Milons are looking for jobs.

The Eagles' ability to draft a quality receiver is highly suspect. But we need a #1 receiver. Great defense, which is something we now have, breaks down without a consistent clock-eating offense...that or a high-scoring one. We have neither of those kinds of offense.

by joetimek on Mar 13, 2008 1:38 AM EDT reply actions 0 recs