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Let's get to the links...
The Eagles should be able to entice free agents at some positions, not so much at others - JimmyK, Philly.com
In free agency, the No. 1 reason players sign with one particular team over another is money. Cary Williams admitted as much to the Inquirer's Jeff McLane back in September. However, if money is equal or at least close, the Eagles are going to be able to entice offensive players to come to Philly. The Broncos' fourth wide receiver is Andre Caldwell, who is set to become a free agent after the Super Bowl. Caldwell talked in glowing terms about the Eagles' offense.
Mac, Vick Updates - Tommy Lawlor, Iggles Blitz
Mike, I’ve got some bad news for you buddy. You are not going to be handed a starting QB job by any team. Will. Not. Happen. That’s not an anti-Vick statement. This is just reality. Injuries have hurt Vick’s performance in each of the past 3 seasons. He missed time in 2010 as well, but played at a very high level all year long. No team is going to look at Vick and see him as "The Answer". No team will hand him a job. Remember that Andy Reid tried to trade for Alex Smith prior to 2012. Reid wanted some serious competition for Vick…or to replace him. This year Vick had to battle Nick Foles for the job. Vick was unquestionably the starter in 2011, coming off the brilliant 2010 season. Vick was up and down in 2011.
Lurie touts Philly as possible Super Bowl site - Zach Berman, Inquirer
Minutes after NFL commissioner Roger Goodell said that the league will review how this year's New Jersey/New York Super Bowl went and review the potential of more Super Bowls in cold-weather cities, Eagles owner Jeffrey Lurie continued touting the candidacy of Philadelphia for a future game. "Philadelphia would be an amazing place to have a game," Lurie said. "Fourth-largest city in the country, all the infrastructure, state of-the-art stadium, great fan base. It's pretty obviously very capable of hosting it, and we'd be very excited to participate in it. And I think the community would wholeheartedly embrace it."
Three-And-Out: Super Bowl Predictions - Birds 24/7
Nick Foles was taken by the Eagles 13 picks after Wilson and has similar financial numbers as Seattle’s signal-caller. Foles made $500,000 this season and his base goes up to $615,o00 next year. Per the new Collective Bargaining Agreement, players cannot redo their rookie contracts until after their third season in the league. That means Foles, like Wilson, is locked in at a bargain price for at least one more year. That gives their teams some financial wiggle-room in the meanwhile. So do the Eagles load up? It’s not quite that simple. Howie Roseman needs to reserve future funds for not just Foles but other young core players on the roster like Fletcher Cox and Mychal Kendricks that will be up for raises before long. The organization wants to focus the bulk of its resources on homegrown talent as it tries to build a model for sustained success.
Lurie to NFL: Careful with playoff expansion - Geoff Mosher, CSN Philly
Cowboys owner Jerry Jones, whose team has made the postseason just once in the past six seasons, would like to expand the playoffs and have more teams vie for the Super Bowl. Eagles owner Jeffrey Lurie, whose team has missed the postseason just twice in the past six years, isn’t necessarily in lock step with his NFC East rival owner. Lurie on Friday said he’s reluctant to add more teams to the postseason, fearing the result might dilute the significance of the 16-game regular season and provide competitive advantage for teams that get more preparation time for a second-round game.
Youth Participation Weakens in Basketball, Football, Baseball, Soccer - WSJ.com
If there's an unofficial national day for America's sports passion, it is Super Bowl Sunday, and one of the largest U.S. television audiences of 2014 is expected to watch the Seattle Seahawks face the Denver Broncos. But ahead of this weekend's spectacle in New Jersey, there is some sobering news about the country's most-popular team sports: Fewer children are playing them.
Super Bowl 2014: Peyton Manning Is Mr. Annoying - WSJ.com
The only thing more terrifying than playing against Peyton Manning is playing with him. Let's be clear: Players love everything that comes with playing with Manning. He's a great quarterback and by all accounts a fine fellow. Teammates get Super Bowl appearances, eye-popping statistics and big contracts out of playing with him. There's only one problem. He's kind of annoying.
Super Bowl 2014: BGN Radio Podcast
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