Harrison will add a new punch to the ground attack.


After fleecing the Eagles in the Sheldon Brown and Chris Gocong trade, the Cleveland Browns were apparently feeling bad. Either that or Tom Heckert had an unpaid debt to Andy Reid.

Other than that, I can't truly explain why the Browns would give up Jerome Harrison for Mike Bell straight up -- even taking into account Harrison's small feud with the front office.

Harrison hasn't produced as well as they would have liked this year (31 carries for 91 yards), but showed at the end of last season that he can be a guy who carries the load. In the final three games, Harrison carried the ball 106 times for 561 yards for an average of 5.3 yards per carry and five touchdowns. He also caught 32 passes for 220 yards and two touchdowns.

But even Harrison per-carry average this season would be a welcome improvement over what Bell was able to accomplish. Or, more to the point, what he wasn't able to accomplish.

In five games this season, Bell carried the ball 16 times for a paltry 28 yards and failed to find the endzone. Just in case you hate math and don't have a calculator handy, that's a slightly unimpressive (to put it mildly) 1.8 yards per carry.

Perhaps Bell is the type of guy who needs a few carries before he really gets going or maybe he's still injured but either way he was proving completely worthless for the Eagles. He was supposed to be a good change-of-pace to LeSean McCoy, but proved to have hands of stone and clearly sub-par field vision.

What Harrison brings to the table is an explosiveness that Bell is lacking. He is a guy who can enter the game cold and make a play whether it's via the ground game or catching a pass out of the backfield.

It's something the team will need while McCoy nurses a broken rib. He was able to tough it out and play against the 49ers last week, but the team probably would have liked to sit him and let him recover if they felt like they had a viable starting option behind him.

If Harrison can get in and pick up the offense quickly -- running backs do, after all, have the smallest learning curve -- it's likely he'll see a lot of time against the Atlanta Falcons. McCoy will still likely be in line to get the start, but the limiting the amount of times he gets hit should help speed up the recovery process.

And clearly, with Bell, Reid and offensive coordinator Marty Mornhinweg did not feel comfortable enough with him to take carries away from McCoy.

The added power of the running game should help Kevin Kolb, who is likely to get the start this week as Michael Vick continues to nurse a rib injury. Just the threat of the run should bring the defense closer to the line, which will hopefully mean more deep connections with DeSean Jackson. Harrison also forces linebackers to pay attention to him on passing downs.

I'm a big fan of Harrison and believe he and McCoy could grow into one of the best running back tandems in the league if they're given the time. Harrison, like Bell, is playing on a one-year restricted free agent tender so he might only have 11 games as an Eagle, but I think we're going to see an impact out of him right away and, hopefully, for years to come.
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Joique Bell is one of a few options to replace Mike Bell.


Perhaps as an indicator that the team is re-thinking its decision to sign running back Mike Bell, they welcomed Buffalo Bills practice squad running back and undrafted free agent Joique Bell to the NovaCare complex on Monday for a workout.

Rumors began flying that Bell had officially signed on, but according to the Eagles, that has not happened just yet. "Something could happen," however, according to head coach Andy Reid.

Even Bell apparently thought he was an Eagle, since he tweeted "On the plane Heading to Philly....ur boy is a "EAGLE" now.....haha." But according to his most recent tweet, three hours ago, Bell was informed that nothing is official and let us know he's "Goin thru anotha physical."

The team didn't bring him in for nothing. Clearly they're considering making a move and want to get a look at every guy they can. The fact that they're giving (Joique) Bell a physical shows they're not messing around and, at the very least are sending a message to (Mike) Bell.

Bell was originally brought in to be the Eagles' power back. Leonard Weaver was always going to be the short-yardage guy, but when they were looking for someone who could punish the opposing defense, Bell was supposed to be that guy.

And with Weaver sidelined, Bell was going to be counted on to be the short-yardage guy as well.

But after his dreadful display in the first two weeks, it looks like the team is starting to re-think Bell's spot on the team.

The Eagles have Martell Mallett, who was impressive during the preseason, on their practice squad, but he doesn't fit the mold they're looking for if they're going to replace Mike Bell. Joique Bell, at 5'11, 220 pounds, does. He was also very impressive in the preseason, racking up 152 rushing yards on 27 carries.

If the Birds sign Bell off the Bills' practice squad, he would immediately have to be put on the active roster, and I would expect him to be active against the Jaguars as well. The Eagles are very thin at running back and could not afford not to use him right away.

A move will likely be finalized, one way or the other, before Wednesday.

UPDATE: Bell has officially been signed, and Hank Baskett has been cut to make room.

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Hopefully Mike Bell is as good as "Madden" thinks he is.


Moving forward in our position-by-position look at the Eagles' 2010 squad through the eyes of the "Madden" developers, we take a look at LeSean McCoy and the running backs.

Behind McCoy, the guys have Mike Bell as the primary backup and Eldra Buckley as the guy who wins the job of third running back. It's possible the developers, like myself, think Buckley's work on special teams will win him the job in the end. Of course, it could also just be a case of taking the safe route and going with the incumbent.

And as we take a look at the running backs, we'll also take a look at Leonard Weaver since a) he's a hybrid running back/fullback and b) giving him his own post would be hard to justify.



LeSean McCoy | Overall Rating: 79

Looking at the team as a whole, McCoy seems to have the fairest rating. My personal belief is that he's going to have a breakout season, but based on what he showed last year, an overall rating of 79 is more than fair.

And when we look at the other key ratings, like speed (93), acceleration (96), agility (96), catching (80), elusiveness (91), spin move (91), and juke move (94), it's clear the guys at EA are fairly high on McCoy and will likely make him very easy to progress.

They really knock him down in areas like strength (62), carry (70), trucking (58), and stiff-arm (60), but that's all warranted. He's not a bruising back that is going to punish defenders; He's going to juke them out of their shoes and run around them, so those ratings also make sense.

The one that I would dispute, however, would be his ball-carrier vision (79) and awareness (67).

Knocking down his awareness rating could just be because he's still very young, but he seems to see the field very well and can find a hole when it opens up. If a guy like Brandon Jacobs, who basically puts his head down and runs into people, has an 87 BCV rating, then McCoy should have a rating in that ballpark as well.



Mike Bell | Overall Rating: 77

Bell's rating is basically just the opposite of McCoy's, which should make him the perfect change-of-pace in Madden like the Birds hope he'll be here in reality.

His speed (85) , acceleration (87) , juke move (77), spin move (73), elusiveness (64), catching (62), and agility (78) all suffer a little, but his strength (78) , carry (87), trucking (88), stiff-arm (86), and awareness (77) ratings are right above average.

Essentially what the Madden guys are saying is if the Eagles could smash these two running backs together, they'd have one hell of a back on their hands. But since that's not possible that I know of, the Birds should be just fine if they'd actually implement a rotation and use both guys often enough.



Eldra Buckley | Overall Rating: 68

Buckley has been given all the attributes you'd expect from a guy rated so poorly. His best attributes -- both of which are an 88 -- are acceleration and injury prevention. Which, to me, sounds like everything a guy would need in order to cover kicks.

With Bell on board Buckley surely isn't going to see many goal-line opportunities and, even if McCoy or Bell were to go down, Leonard Weaver would likely see a pickup in carries before Buckley is given an expanded role on offense.

The Madden guys seem to know this and let the ratings reflect that. In fact, the 68 is probably a bit generous for Buckley but, since they don't give ratings specifically for special team players, it's a fair assessment.



Leonard Weaver | Overall Rating: 90

Weaver, who will likely see more of a traditional fullback role, got some love from the Madden developers and comes in at a 90 rating. From what I can tell, that's the highest rating given to a fullback, and is tied with Baltimore's Le'Ron McClain.

It doesn't take much of an imagination to figure out Weaver's attributes (but if you're curious, check here), and there's not a whole lot of them that jump out as being anything out of the ordinary, except a very high catch rating of 82.

Weaver did show soft hands all season, but there are some lower-level wide receivers who aren't going to get that kind of credit. Not to take anything away from Weaver, but he did haul in only 15 balls for 140 yards.

But, that did include two touchdowns and is an average of just over nine yards per reception, so perhaps it's a fair rating.

If the Eagles use Weaver to his full potential this year, we could see that rating be justified. The guy is a very good blocker and one hell of an athlete overall when everything he actually does for the offense -- run, block, and catch -- is considered.

And at 27 years old, he's only going to get better. For all you true football buffs out there who know your stuff, think Tom Rathman.



Final thoughts...

The developers over at EA went with Buckley as the third running back, but they also had Lorenzo Booker as the third guy last year, so it's looking like they just go with the safe pick.

While I think Buckley could and should win the third spot, it's going to be hard for Andy Reid to cut sixth-round pick Charles Scott out of LSU. He's a big, bruising type of guy who could help on the goal-line and in short-yardage situations, but he doesn't seem to fit Reid's offense and it's just as likely he winds up on the practice squad.

If he were to make the team, however, I would probably give him somewhere around a 61 overall, with all the attributes of a power guy, but the awareness and vision ratings of a rookie.

It's likely Scott could be added to the game and found in the first roster update.

*Next up: DeSean Jackson and the receivers.
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Hopefully Bell will do a lot of this in midnight green.


It has taken an entire week (or so), but Mike Bell is officially an Eagle heading into the 2010 season. He immediately takes a backseat to starter LeSean McCoy and will allow Leonard Weaver to focus more on being a fullback than a backup running back.

Weaver will still see his carries, but they'll be cut in half -- or more -- with the arrival of Bell. He's a good, young veteran who has had success in this league with the Broncos and the Saints. He's got a Super Bowl ring and will bring a Super Bowl-winning attitude to a team used to winning over the past decade.

He's a great downhill change-of-pace to McCoy who is more of a shifty running back. Bell is a guy who can punish a defense just enough to make McCoy that much more effective, and in turn make the offense that much more effective.

The Eagles thought they were going to have a good 1-2 punch last season with McCoy and Brian Westbrook, but with Westbrook missing even more games than usual, Weaver was forced into a backup running back role, once again leaving the Eagles without a true fullback.

Bell has been a reliable option in Denver and New Orleans, and should be able to make a significant impact in Philadelphia right away. He will probably see 8-10 carries per game and will be the guy in the redzone.

Put Weaver in front of Bell in the 'I' and you've got a legitimate power-running attack that the Eagles haven't had since Dorsey Levens made a short run with the Birds in 2004.

Unless, of course, you count Tony Hunt.

Either way, Bell is an Eagle for at least 2010. He's only on a one-year deal so he might not be back for 2011, but if he produces 500-600 yards on the ground and a handful of touchdowns it would be hard for Andy Reid to let him walk.
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Mike Bell will know his future by 11:59PM Tuesday.


In one of the oddest things I've seen since I began covering the Eagles over a year ago, the deadline on when the Saints must decide whether or not to match Mike Bell's offer sheet has changed.

It was originally supposed to be 11:59PM on Monday (March 22nd), but it has now been moved to 11:59PM on Tuesday (March 23rd). That means that at midnight (Wednesday, March 24th), Bell will either officially become an Eagle, or will stay a Saint for at least one more season.

How in the world the Saints got 24 extra hours from the original deadline is beyond me, but unless they match the offer it's not really going to matter. If they do, however, a lot of people in Philly are going to be crying foul.

Many people in-the-know around Philly and New Orleans don't expect the Saints to match the offer, but the extra day might be all they need to come around and decide they'd like to keep their three-ponged rushing attack intact.

It's a modest deal for the Eagles to make Bell their second running back, but to give a third running back almost $2 million in base salary with $500,000 in guarantees will probably be too much for the Saints to swallow.

The Eagles will also be questioned for not putting in the dreaded "poison pill," which basically says that if the Saints match the offer, they'd have to guarantee every penny of the nearly $2 million dollars if Bell were to meet some ridiculously simple milestone. For instance, if he played more than two games in the state of Florida.

Seriously, it's something that crazy.

But the Eagles decided not to include the poison pill in an unwavering confidence that it would not be needed; A decision that could backfire terribly.

Reid himself has said he doesn't believe the Saints will match the offer, but it wouldn't surprise me if they matched the offer for no other reason than to prevent an NFC foe from getting any better off of their scrap-heap.
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The Saints will most likely not match Eagles' offer.


According to Adam Caplan of Scout.com, the Eagles have put in an offer sheet for restricted free agent Mike Bell to the tune of one-year, $1.7 million with $500,000 in guaranteed money.

There are also incentives in the deal that could push it over $2 million.

It's a modest deal, but the Saints are unlikely to want to match it. They already have Pierre Thomas, Reggie Bush, and a young guy by the name of Lynell Hamilton whom they really seem to like and want on the field.

They might be willing to match the $1.7 million base salary, but with nearly one-third of the salary guaranteed, the Saints have probably already decided they aren't going to match that.

As we reported earlier, Bell would immediately become LeSean McCoy's primary backup and Leonard Weaver will be used as a more traditional fullback. He'll still be a target out of the backfield, but his carries will be limited with Bell's expected arrival.

"I asked Greg Cosell from NFL Films for a Bell review recently," tweets Caplan. "(Cosell said:) Physical, decisive, down hill RB who runs hard."

It's a good move for the Eagles and Bell, but the Saints, assuming they do decline to match the offer, will not receive any compensation for Bell since he was given the lowest tender.

Bell reportedly also received interest from the Seattle Seahawks.

UPDATE: NFL.com's Jason La Canfora is reporting that there is no offer sheet just yet, but that one "is likely" according to a team source. La Canfora says visit is "going well."
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Mike Bell is expected to be an Eagle by Wednesday.


Les Bowen of Philly.com is reporting that the Eagles are expected to make a move on Saints' restricted free agent running back Mike Bell. According to Bowen, contract talks have already begun and a deal is expected to get done later Tuesday night.

"Our understanding is that contract terms have been discussed," Bowen writes. "If he checks out physically...and shows an aptitude for learning Andy Reid's offense, he'll likely be signed to an offer sheet."

The Saints would then have seven days to match the offer sheet, but considering that he was only given a "right of first refusal" tender (the lowest available), the Saints don't appear to be in a position to fight for Bell's services.

They don't seem to have a need for Bell with Pierre Thomas and Reggie Bush ahead of him on the depth chart. Bell is too much like Thomas to keep around for anything more than the minimum.

Bell likely won't get much of a raise, but he would surely see more playing time in Philadelphia than in New Orleans. Even with Leonard Weaver getting his fair share of carries, Bell would be the backup to LeSean McCoy right away.

It's my belief that the Eagles would like to use Weaver as more of a traditional fullback rather than just a big running back, but they can't do that unless they can get a power back behind McCoy to take some of the pressure off Weaver.

With Weaver becoming more of a lead-blocker, the running game should be much more effective than it was last season when he was playing more of an H-back role rather than that of a traditional fullback.

Bell is only 27, falling in line with the age the Eagles like to sign free agents, is the change-of-pace style of back they need, and will come relatively cheap -- sounds like everything the Eagles were looking for.
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Could Mike Bell be the answer behind LeSean McCoy?


With an obvious need for a backup to running back LeSean McCoy, the Eagles will bring in Saints' restricted free agent Mike Bell. The Saints opted to only put a "right of first refusal" tender on Bell, which means they're not going to fight very hard to keep him.

Bell isn't exactly a superstar, and may not even be all that much better than Eldra Buckley, but this is certainly a move that can't hurt. At the very least, Bell would add depth were something to happen to McCoy because, unlike Buckley, Bell has some starting experience.

He played well for the Saints in '09, but seemed to wear down as the season went on and is clearly nothing more than a five-to-eight carries-per-game type of guy. He can also catch the ball out of the backfield, but hasn't been given the chance to do it over the past three years.

Losing his starting spot in Denver and playing with Reggie Bush in New Orleans is going to limit those opportunities, but the Eagles must believe he can do it if they're bringing him in for a visit.

Justin Fargas has also visited, but left without a contract and isn't expected to sign.

If Bell doesn't sign on, or if the Saints decide to match the Eagles' offer (assuming there is one), it's likely that the Birds would simply wait until about the fourth round and draft someone they feel is NFL-ready.

Bell has 1,376 yards on 348 attempts (4YPA) and 14 touchdowns in only 37 games played.

If something is going to happen with Bell, it's going to happen either tomorrow or Wednesday, so make sure to stay tuned.
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