Cole was one of five Eagles to make the All-Pro team.
The 2009 All-Pro team was announced today, and is really the only thing that matters when you come right down to it. The Pro Bowl is fine because it has the fan vote included, but in the end there's always at least a handful of guys who made it based on name-recognition, and at least just as many who get snubbed because they don't benefit from such recognition.
The All-Pro team, however, is usually different. Fans have no say, so immediately name-recognition becomes much less of a factor.
Only one Eagle, Leonard Weaver, made it onto the first team. Four others, David Akers, Trent Cole, DeSean Jackson, and Asante Samuel made it onto the second team. Jackson is not on the team as a receiver, but as a punt returner -- something sure to give him some motivation headed into 2010.
Realistically, the only other Eagle who deserved consideration was Brent Celek. However, the All-Pro team only selects one tight end per team, so two altogether, and those honors went to Dallas Clark (first team) and Antonio Gates (second team).
As much as we'd all like to see Celek get some love, it's tough to remove either of those guys in favor of Celek, who did have some down games and missed a couple easy catches.
Another interesting selection worth pointing out was the now former Eagle and current Denver Bronco Brian Dawkins.
Dawkins made it onto the second team along with Ed Reed and Nick Collins. Oddly enough, Quintin Demps, Macho Harris, and Sean Jones were nowhere to be found. In fact, I'm guessing they didn't receive any votes at all.
I don't mean to harp on the Eagles' front office too much because, outside of the emotional side of things, I wasn't sure that Dawk could do it anymore either. I thought it was probably worth bringing him back because I definitely didn't feel that Demps was ready to take over, but it was hard to argue with the logic of letting him walk.
Now I'm realizing that I could have very well been wrong about Dawk. I don't like to admit when I'm wrong and I don't feel like it happens too often (although probably more often than I realize), but I'm just about ready to say I was wrong about Dawk and that he should still be an Eagle.
The only thing holding me back is the thought that he still may have struggled severely in this defense. In Denver, Mike Nolan was willing to allow Dawk to play a role that was more like a fifth linebacker in his 3-4 scheme. Dawk was around the line of scrimmage a lot and was used to blitz fairly often.
It's something that, in Sean McDermott's this year, probably would not have happened. He probably would have been asked to play man up on tight ends and even receivers every once in a while. It could have very well exploited some major flaws that the future Hall of Famer now has in his game.
But in Denver, Nolan was okay with finding a way around those flaws and using him the way he should be used right now. So, should the Eagles have let him walk? I'm still not sure, but it definitely looks like Denver made the right move in picking him up and was still nice to see Dawk have the personal success that he deserves.
But I'm heading off track.
Having five Eagles selected to the All-Pro team is great, but having Weaver on the first team just jacked up his asking price by at least a couple hundred thousand. He's been recognized by the Pro Bowl voters as the best fullback in the NFC, and now by the All-Pro voters as the best fullback in the entire league.
He's certainly not a guy that the Eagles can afford to let walk. At least, not without some rioting down Broad Street.
