The Eagles' front seven must play in the Giants' backfield.


If the Eagles want to take sole possession of first place in the NFC East, it's going to require a killer instinct and a mentality that they're going to take out a Giants ream that has to be reeling right now due to some injuries and an embarrassing divisional loss to the Cowboys last week.

But more specifically, that killer's mentality must come from Sean McDermott and the defensive side of the ball.

Two starters along the Giants' offense line, center Shaun O'Hara and left tackle David Diehl, have already been ruled out for Sunday night. Diehl's potential replacement, Shawn Andrews, is having back problems and listed as questionable.

Giants fans might not know this yet, but Eagles fans know what that means. Andrews is out for this game and likely the season.

For McDermott, that has to mean one thing: blitz.

Eli Manning has shown time and time again that he will put the ball up for grabs if he gets guys in his face. That's just the type of player he is. Rather than being like his brother and hitting the deck if it becomes evident he's going to be sacked, Eli chucks the ball into the air and hopes for the best.

So if McDermott will blitz the 'A' gap to take advantage of O'Hara being on the sidelines, and allow Trent Cole to come around the edge and take on William Beatty (Andrews' likely replacement), who will be making his first NFL start, rather than dropping him into coverage, the front seven should be able to get a boatload of pressure on Manning and force turnovers.

Dimitri Patterson has shown a nose for the ball, as has safety Nate Allen, and we already know interceptions are about all that matter to Asante Samuel. With those three going for the ball and Eli more than willing to offer it up, those turnovers should lead to short fields for Vick and the offense and translate into a lot of easy points.

However, if McDermott pulls out his usual scheme and plays a soft man or just flat-out zone, Eli will torch them. If given time to find Hakeem Nicks and Mario Manningham, it will be an absolute blood-bath. He is, after all, still a Manning.

And we haven't even brought up the idea of run-blitzing yet. Ahmad Bradshaw is currently (and very quietly) third in the league in rushing. With the way Stewart Bradley has been playing, the Giants might be able to run right up the gut even with O'Hara out.

The way to counteract that is the run blitz. Bring Quintin Mikell into the box, blitz Bradley so he doesn't have a chance to get flat-footed, tell the defensive tackles to squeeze 'A' gap while controlling 'B' gap and let Ernie Sims and Moise Fokou know they've got contain on a pitch.

If McDermott blitzes, the injuries along the line should be too much for the Giants to overcome and the Birds should send the Giants back to New York a game and a half out of first place.
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Will Shawn Andrews ever play on an NFL field again?


After being cut by the Eagles early this offseason, many figured someone would give the incredibly talented Shawn Andrews a shot to prove that his issues with depression and injuries were behind him and that he could move on with his NFL career.

But to date, that has not happened and now it looks like Andrews is being presented with another option: the United Football League.

According to the league's Twitter page, the expansion Omaha Nighthawks have drafted Andrews with the first pick in the third round of their 12-round annual draft.

The third round sounds bad for a player like Andrews who was taken 16th overall in the NFL's draft back in 2004, but with only five teams in the league, Andrews was actually taken 11th overall in a draft that featured plenty of former NFL players.

None, however, were as high-profile as Andrews.

It's a big fall for Andrews but it could actually become a blessing in disguise. He needs to get his head on straight and work through some of the nagging injuries that have been plaguing him for a couple years, and the UFL could be the perfect place to do it.

Obviously, the talent in the UFL can't compare to the NFL. I think we can all agree on that. So Andrews will be able to come in, shake off the rust of not playing for two years, and be out of his contract in time to potentially sign with an NFL team for the last five or six weeks of the season.

The move really makes sense for the Nighthawks who are trying to build a team from the ground up, will certainly need an offensive line, and have said they're trying to get guys who played in the surrounding area.

Andrews played his college ball at Arkansas only a couple states away.

For a few seasons, Andrews was arguably the best guard in the entire league. Hopefully playing in the UFL will allow him to regain his confidence, get back to form, and be a successful story of redemption in the NFL.

Other former NFL players taken in the UFL draft: Hollis Thomas (another former Eagle), Devard Darling, Adrien Clarke (former Eagle), Antonio Chatman, Ronald Curry, John Standeford, Chike Okeafor, and DeWayne White, who was the No. 1 overall pick.

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After two years of uncertainty, the Big Kid is gone.


It's certainly difficult to fault the Eagles for doing so, but from where I'm sitting, releasing Shawn Andrews doesn't seem to make much sense.

He has missed the past two seasons with back injuries, both of which required surgery, but by all accounts he's finally healing up the way he should be and has a legitimate shot at coming back full-strength in 2010.

He was also only scheduled to make just under $2 million -- a number more than reasonable even for a backup, much less a two-time Pro Bowl guard who, at certain points, has been the best guard in the league. Keeping him would not have had a huge impact on the wallet, so I'm not sure I see the point in cutting the troubled lineman loose right now.

The release comes at a point when the Birds are facing huge question marks on the interior of their line with Jamaal Jackson rehabbing from a torn ACL and Stacy Andrews, Shawn's brother, looking to rebound from an incredibly disappointing 2009.

The potential that Andrews could return to even half his Pro Bowl form is reason enough to keep him around, but the added insecurities along the interior line make this move, and its timing, incredibly perplexing.

Andrews says he has yet to speak with other teams, and is first trying to get himself back into playing shape, but my best guess is that he will wind up somewhere like Baltimore, St. Louis, or Minnesota where there are extensions of the Andy Reid coaching tree, and guys who have interacted with Andrews.

He could be a huge catch for a team if he can come back healthy, but that remains to be seen.
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Philly.com's John Gonzalez thinks this is a real pic.


What? This isn't breaking news? Well pardon me for thinking that the well-qualified scribes over at Philly.com wouldn't waste our time with anything that isn't breaking news or of the highest quality analysis.

But that's exactly what Philly.com's John Gonzalez decided to do when he wrote up this little gem about Shawn Andrews and his affinity for Twitter. Apparently a 27-year old semi-famous man is a topic of discussion because he likes this new form of social interaction that I don't fully understand.

(By the way, follow me on Twitter!)

Gonzalez starts off this Pulitzer Prize candidate by talking about how Andrews is apparently addicted to Twitter and offers a career change for the embattled lineman.

"Forget football. He could replace Dave Spadaro and the entire Internet team down at the NovaCare Complex all by himself," Gonzalez writes. "He's that prolific."

You're that hilarious, Gonzo.

He then goes on to tell us about one day in which Andrews "tweeted an astounding 134 times - or roughly one tweet every 10 minutes." That, of course, led to this always-used-but-never-less-funny joke: "I wonder if he has a shower-proof Twitter device or if he just skips cleaning himself altogether."

Get it? He "tweets" so much that he doesn't take showers. You know, because it would mean he couldn't tweet were he to take a shower. Unless, of course, he has a phone or some other internet-ready device that is waterproof.

Seriously, who is this guy and why in the hell is he qualified to be taking pokes at anybody?

I mean honestly which of his editors approved this story for the website? Who in their right mind thought it was something that just had to be read by everyone and that we'd all get a kick out of this hack taking a poke at Andrews via his laptop?

The only bit of this that might make sense, to which he fails to allude, is that maybe we should all be upset because Andrews is tweeting rather than rehabbing. But even that is fairly half-assed as we have no idea what his schedule is, what he's doing, or what he should be doing to rehab.

But, as is usually the case with these people, they're not going to let a little thing like common sense stand in their way.

Smart money says little Gonzo isn't saying a word of this to the Big Kid personally, unless of course he idolizes Jim Rome. He would rather hide behind his laptop and take a poke at the guy because he knows a lot of Philly has had enough of Andrews not seeing the field.

Anything to get the public riled up, right? That's what journalism, especially in the sports and political arenas, has come down to: What can we do to get the general public talking?

Now I know, some of you may be asking yourself why I took the time to read it and respond to it on here if I think it's such a waste of time. And the answer is that when I started this site I wanted to do it not only because the Eagles coverage, and NFL coverage in general, that is available is, for the most part, garbage -- but to call these people out, when needed, as well.

It's nothing but a bunch of guys who decided they wanted people to listen to and/or read their nonsense regardless of topic. These guys chose sports and apparently bumbled their way into Philadelphia. Hooray for me, and hooray for you.

I read the article -- or what more or less looked like an old post from someone's Xanga page -- because I knew it would be nonsense and, look at that, I was right. Not all the guys over at Philly.com are bad, but this Gonzalez character is one that just needs to go away.

With analytic gems such as this in response to a tweet by Jeff McLane that the Eagles would not be signing Justin Fargas: "For the Huggie Bear jokes alone, the Birds need to reconsider."

Or this one in response to the signing of Chad Hall: "Waiting list for season tickets just got longer. Take that, Phillies! The Eagles are back."

Or there's this one in response to the Hank Baskett signing: "Hooray. Maybe they'll bring back Feely & complete the Super Bowl puzzle."

By the way, folks, this is all on his Twitter feed. So, apparently, it's okay to Tweet, but not if you happen to play for the Eagles and do it in excess. The definition of what is and is not "excess," by the way, is determined solely by John Gonzalez.

So keep it up, Mr. Gonzalez. You're a big man behind your computer, your hypocrisy apparently knows no bounds, and you write the way I did in second grade. Why anyone pays you for your opinions is beyond me, and you're an embarrassment to real Eagles fans everywhere.

As says one commenter by the name of "ahab" (like the captain): "I'll take Andrews' Twitter over this mean-spirited twaddle any day of the week... What a pinhead."
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The Eagles could use a healthy "Big Kid" in 2010.


While talking with Garry Cobb on G. Cobb in the House over at VoiceAmericaSports.com, Shawn Andrews became a passing topic. Cobb said that keeping Andrews presents no real risk for the Eagles because he's getting paid so little, but has so much potential.

I'd have to say I'm in agreement. Andrews is only getting paid around $2 million, so he's not breaking the bank if he winds up not being able to play. However, if he is able to finally get back on the field, he's a mauling Pro Bowl-caliber guard or tackle.

Basically, when you look at the risk-reward of keeping him on the roster, the potential reward so heavily outweighs the potential negatives that it wouldn't make sense to simply cut him loose the way a lot of Eagles fans would like.

No one really knows if he'll ever see the field again after two back surgeries, but it's worth keeping him around to find out. The back is obviously something that guys aren't going to play around with because as much as we want to see him on the field, he would like to be able to walk once his career is officially over.

He seems to have finally beaten his bout with depression, which should help him focus solely on his back to get ready for 2010.

If he can strengthen it and feel comfortable enough with it to get some reps in during offseason workouts, it could give him the confidence he needs to forget about his back pain and get back on the field.

At a certain point, injuries will take a mental toll on a guy, and I wonder if maybe that's what is happening to Andrews at this point.

It may be more about convincing himself that his back will hold up, rather than the actual pain his back may or may not really be causing him.
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2010 is a make-or-break season for Stacy Andrews.


Over the past few seasons, the Eagles have been a team making a splash in the early-goings of free agency. Last offseason, that splash was made in the form of former Cincinnati Bengals offensive lineman, and brother of Shawn, Stacy Andrews.

He was immediately slated to take over the right guard position, with his equally disappointing brother slated to play next to him at right tackle. He started the first game against the Carolina Panthers, but it quickly became evident that something just wasn't right with Stacy.

He didn't seem to be going full-force. He seemed timid when planting on that surgically-repaired knee and it was affecting his game in every facet. Andy Reid then made the decision to play him only sparingly, then not at all.

It was a very bad way to get started in Philadelphia, especially considering the emotional roller coaster that his brother Shawn has put this city through. The Andrews name was also a bit stained coming in, so he's done himself no favors with the Philadelphia media or fanbase.

His poor season even has some people ready to get rid of him right now, even though he signed a lucrative six-year deal with the Birds less than a year ago.

Of course, anyone talking about getting rid of Stacy already are either speaking out of anger and frustration on the part of the Andrews brothers, speaking out of ignorance, or just trying to heat up an angry fanbase and gain some readers. Or it could be a combination of the three.

And since we don't beat around the bush here at 2M2MG, I'm of course talking about Jeff McLane's article in the Philadelphia Inquirer, in which he discusses players who should "stay" or "go."

In which, he says that it's time for Stacy Andrews to be shown the door. Really? After only one season recovering from major knee surgery you're ready to get rid of the guy? Let me just say that I'm incredibly thankful that this clown does not have a say in the Eagles' personnel.

It's people like McLane who give Philadelphia a bad rep as an ignorant bunch who are more interested in learning new methods of torturing visiting fans than actually learning anything about the sport they're watching/covering.

He's also the guy who gave us such gems as, when discussing whether or not Jeremiah Trotter should stay: "Proved he can still play. Maybe backs up Bradley. Just not here."

He might back up Stewart Bradley, just not here? Where else is he going to be Bradley's backup? My guess is that when he says "here," he means his article. Okay, but it's still poor writing. Of course he's not going to be the backup for Bradley if you have him walking in free agency.

Is it nitpicking? Maybe, I don't believe so, but maybe.

It's just another example of the ignorance that plagues a lot of the people in the Philly media. I don't want to list the ones who aren't morons and actually know what they're talking about because I might leave someone out, but the readers know who I'm talking about.

Anyway, enough of my tangent.

Stacy is a high-quality player who can certainly help this team if he's able to come back healthy and stronger next season, which I believe he will.

I think Reid puts a lot of blame on his strength and conditioning coaches for not having guys like Stacy, as well as his brother Shawn, Victor Abiamiri, Quintin Demps, and others, ready to go before the season or during the season.

Hence their firing.

It's going to be an interesting offseason watching the Andrews brothers and their fight to get back into the starting lineup for this team, and I believe it will have a positive outcome for both players. And if one or both of these guys can start full-time for the Birds next season, we could once again be talking about the Eagles as having one of the best lines in the league.

Unlike my gut feeling for guys like Victor Abiamiri and Quintin Demps, I believe that Stacy's story will have a positive outcome and he will become the starter that the Eagles envisioned when they brought him to town.

Will he be shown the door if he can't produce in 2010? Probably not, but it will certainly cause the team to lose faith in him. So, in that sense, 2010 is a make-or-break season for Stacy.
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2010 is a make-or-break season for Shawn Andrews.


Due to his immense talent, Shawn Andrews has been given chance after chance. He's blown the last two, and now a lot of people in the Philly area are calling for Shawn's head. It seems as though he's officially worn out his welcome in this city, and could be on the way out.

But then that issue of his immense talent creeps back up. There's not a doubt in anyone's mind -- or my mind, at least -- that if Shawn can come back healthy for 2010 that he instantly becomes not only the Eagles' best lineman, but one of the best in the league.

He's phenomenal run and pass blocking, and brings an attitude that ripples through the rest of the group.

The other thing helping Andrews keep his name above a locker on the NovaCare complex is that he's not making much money in 2010. About $1 million is all the Eagles will have to shell out to keep Shawn on the roster and just hope he returns to his old form.

If he can, it's well worth the money.

However, if Andrews is once again hurt -- mentally or physically -- and unable to contribute to the team, he will most certainly find himself in a different uniform in 2011. The Eagles fans seem to already be losing, or have lost, their patience with Andrews, and the Eagles coaching staff is only a few steps behind.

He's only played in two games over the past two years, and each year has left the Birds scrambling to find his replacement at the last minute, so it's no wonder that the fans and coaching staff are beginning to turn on him.

The team brought in his former college roommate and teammate from his days at Arkansas, and then also went out and signed his brother to play next to him on the line. Those guys come with the added benefit of being very good football players, but a key motivator was the relationship those guys have with Shawn.

Of course, Stacy has been a disappointment in his own right, and will certainly have his day in this series.

He has said that he would like to produce, if for no other reason than to thank Andy Reid for believing in him as long as he has. It's good that he's got some motivation, but he's also got to know that Reid's loyalty and belief in him can only go so far.

Shawn has been the subject of some heavy debate amongst the fans, and I'm sure the coaching staff as well, but if he doesn't produce in 2010 it's safe to say that there won't be much debate as to whether or not to keep him around for 2011.
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This is what we need to see -- Andrews on the field.


Pro Bowl guard Shawn Andrews has had what his doctor, Robert G. Watkins, III, is calling a "successful" surgery on his back.

Andrews' back has been bothering him for quite some time, so there's hope that this latest surgery will be the very last and open the door for a return to the playing field. He's been sidelined all but two games of the last two seasons, so it probably feels like forever since he's done anything meaningful on the field.

However, I think to call a surgery "successful" at this point is a bit premature. Okay, I understand it's a success because nothing went wrong, it was a smooth operation, and the doctor expects him to play again. But the last surgery he had was also a "success."

How in the world is it a success when the man had to sit out this season and the last? A surgery is successful when the man/woman being operated on can go back to what they were doing on an everyday basis before surgery was needed.

Until Andrews is back on that field and starting, the surgery wasn't a success.

Perhaps I'm just a fan who's tired of seeing doctors tell us that Shawn, and others, will be just fine -- only to come out and suffer just as badly or worse than what they did before the surgery.

Either way, I'd say that Andrews' chances of coming back next season are sketchy -- at best.

Reid would love to have him back next season -- and really, who wouldn't want the Pro Bowl guard? -- but it may become too much of a headache to keep him. I'm a personal fan of Andrews when he's on the field and didn't really buy into the rumor that he was faking this injury, but I do think that a lot of his issues are mental.

I'm not sure how much he wants to play this game, but I think we'll get that answer sometime next year in July.
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Two of the most disappointing players this season.


Well, maybe the chopping block.

With Winston Justice signing a four-year extension to keep him in Philadelphia through the 2013 season, the other disappointing Andrews brother (Shawn) finds himself at a real crossroads for the 2010 season.

It's now become unlikely that he will ever play as an Eagle again, and he could just be playing a waiting game until he finds out which one of the other 31 NFL teams wants to be severely disappointed by an immense amount of talent just floating around their practice facility.

The problem the Eagles will run into is finding a trading partner for a guy who has played a total of two games over the past two season. One game per year is not a good enough workload to warrant a trade for any other team.

So, what the Eagles may wind up doing is simply keeping him on the roster and holding out hope. There are rumors that he's embellishing the injury to his back, so maybe having Justice entrenched as the starter will force him to wake up and start playing.

And if he doesn't, the guy is only making $1 million next season, which is cap-friendly enough to keep him as a backup plan.

So far, both Andrews brothers have been extremely disappointing, but at least it appears as though Stacy will be ready to go next year after his knee injury has hobbled him a bit longer than anyone expected.

There you go, NFL, there's a guy on the trading block with as many Pro Bowl appearances in his career as games played over the past two seasons.

Anyone willing to part with a draft pick? No? I didn't really think so.
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Hopefully Shawn "Big Kid" Andrews is #73 on his next team, too.


Well what could have been a promising season for Shawn Andrews has ended after only a week and a half of practice, total, this season. He has been placed on IR, which will create room for the Eagles to officially sign quarterback Jeff Garcia.

Okay, now that the news part of this is out of the way, let me get to how absolutely sick I am of Shawn Andrews.

There's little argument that when Shawn is on the field, he was not only one of the best guards in the league, but one of the very best linemen. His strength and technique was unmatched -- now it's completely useless.

I don't buy into the notion that he's somehow faking this injury or whatever else. To say that he's faking a back injury to the point he'd have surgery on it is just insane and downright dumb. However, I do believe that he probably has not done enough to make sure that he stays healthy and on the field.

Let's be honest, this is just a guy who doesn't have the love for football necessary to make a difference for this team anymore. He may have had that love a few years ago, but the love for the game is gone, and evidently he doesn't plan on ever playing again.

It was thought that bringing in his former college roommate in Jason Peters, and his brother Stacy would light a fire beneath him and get him in gear. Obviously, even that has not helped and it's time to cut the "Big Kid" loose.

If the Eagles wait until next season, he's only $1 million in dead money and at this point, it's worth it to stop talking about him and being forced to watch such a waste of immense talent.
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Hopefully this is the Winston Justice we see this Sunday in Carolina.


The "Big Kid" Shawn Andrews teased all of Philadelphia by practicing for the past week and a half, but it appears as though a tweak to his back injury will cause him to miss the opening game entirely. In his place, former second-round pick Winston Justice will start at right tackle.

This will most likely prompt the Panthers to move Julius Peppers to left defensive end so that he can face Justice throughout the game. The hope will be to get Peppers the kind of numbers that Osi Umenyiora was able to rack up against Justice a couple years ago.

However, this is a new Winston Justice. This is not the same kid who didn't look like he wanted to play in the NFL, much less belong in the league. His technique has gotten much better, and even more importantly, his attitude has improved significantly. During training camp he was able to pick up a swagger that will certainly help him out on the field this Sunday.

Let's also not forget that Justice was playing left tackle instead of right tackle, his natural position. He played right tackle at USC, and now will get the chance to redeem and create a new name for himself as a right tackle in Philadelphia.

As a sidenote, Westbrook is listed as probable, but participated in practice and is expected to start this Sunday.
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The offensive line could get the offense into some early trouble.


Herremans has already missed the entire preseason, but it looks like he's going to be out longer. He's having a pin put into his foot today which almost certainly has him missing Week 1, and probably up until Week 3 or 4.

In some good news, Reid did say that Shawn Andrews will begin practicing this week. That's a huge step for Andrews, this offensive line, and this entire team. If Andrews can be back and ready to play Week 1, then losing Herremans isn't all that bad. Max Jean-Gilles and Nick Cole are more than capable as backups for a few weeks.

The problem will come if Andrews has a setback and can't play. Then we'd get to see the same offensive line we saw last night, which goes without saying, wasn't very good. Individually they played fairly well, but the lack of continuity was obvious as blitzes weren't picked up when they needed to be and linebackers were left to roam.

They still have a couple weeks to fix the problems, and with Andrews returning it gives them two weeks to work together and learn each other's tendencies. If they're really dedicated to winning, they need to recruit a guy like Kevin Kolb or A.J. Feeley, or hell, even Mike Vick to stay after practice with them and just run through some plays.

It's imperative that they learn the tendencies of the man next to them and are able to anticipate the movements and reactions of the guys next to them. If they're unable to do so, McNabb and this entire team is in for a very long year.

The offensive line is the only position where a great group of individuals doesn't necessarily translate to a great offensive line. They've got to be in each other's heads. One hesitation can lead to McNabb getting killed because they weren't quite sure what the guy next to them was going to do.

Get it together, offensive line. It begins and ends with how that unit plays.
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Stacy Andrews may need to step in for his brother.


You aren't living under a rock. You read the Internet, read the papers, and watch the games. As Eagles fans you know the teams' biggest worry right now is the Offensive Line. And these worries are justified.

Donovan and Desean can't make TD magic without #5 having time to throw the ball. B-West, Weaver, and McCoy can't break through holes without there actually being a hole.

There are two preseason games left and then the games count. And with the Eagles gunning for the division title and home-field advantage in the playoffs every W and L matters.

So does the OL have time to jell? Of course they do. And the most recent news from Eaglesville is that Stacy Andrews will play this Thursday and Peters is making his return to the practice field.

That gives the Eagles 3 starters on the OL. Sure having Herremans would be nice but he is an Eagles OL vet and Cole and Maxie showed last season that they are starting caliber. The Herremans injury or absence doesn't worry me. So with a glass of the Eagles kool-aid one could say 3+ starters should be available for the remaining weeks of preseason.

The one question mark continues to be RT. Shawn Andrews got good news in LA on his back. Mr. Bro Hawk even got himself a few shots for the pain. Unfortunately for the team and fans a timetable for his return is still unknown.

This fan thinks enough with the drama. Time to start making plans for life without the Bro Hawk. If Andrews does indeed play, well what a bonus. But as a football fan how can you be confident that Andrews will make it through a full season of contact when a training camp run sidelined him?

And as much as we love the Iron Man and his blue collar attitude Runyan is not the answer. Sure big John will give you his all but as far as ability his best days are long behind him.

So what is plan B? Sure I've been impressed with the play of Justice this preseason. If I recall correctly I don't think the man has let up a single sack and has only been called for 1 holding penalty. But it's still the preseason and I don't believe it's possible for RT to change his wings in one off season. Once the regular season begins the defenses are no longer vanilla. Blitzes will be coming and Justice starting scares me.

My suggestion would be to slide the other Andrews outside. Stacy was a pretty damn good RT with the Bengals. He has the size and ability. He has the experience. And sliding him outside opens up a position where the Eagles have starting caliber back-ups.

A line of Peters, Herremans, Jackson, Cole/Jean-Gilles, and Stacy Andrews is still pretty damn good. The explosiveness of the offensive will not be hindered with these 5 leading the way.

So let's stop the Shawn drama. Let's get these 5 guys practicing together. Let's get out of the gate quickly this season. And most importantly let's not endanger the health of #5 with a questionable starting RT.

Just start Stacy.
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The Big Kid gets some good news and should see the field shortly.


As you may or may not have known, Shawn Andrews was sent out to California recently to see Dr. Robert Watkins to get his back looked at. While sending him out there shows a high level of concern, which in itself is bad news, the doctor actually gave Andrews some good news.

Dr. Watkins apparently told Andrews and the team that his injury is muscular, and not structural, which significantly increases the likelihood that he will be able to get on the field soon and be fine for the September 13th opener at Carolina.

Andrews will be a vital piece to this offensive line, and the Eagles will need to know his status sooner rather than later so they can decide if they need to pursue outside help (namely, Jon Runyan) or if they can just sit tight and wait knowing that Andrews will be able to play. This news goes a long way in helping that decision.

The good news doesn't end there, as it appears that Brian Westbrook's injuries were either not quite as serious as first thought, or he's unbelievably ahead of schedule. He practiced in a live drill yesterday and says that he feels good about being able to play in the opener at Carolina. In fact, he said he'd like to see some preseason action if at all possible.

This is a fantastic development for the Eagles as the health and success of Westbrook is always monumental in not only winning individual games, but being able to make a push late in the season. The presence of LeSean McCoy should keep him fresh come playoff time, which is exactly what the Eagles need.

If Westbrook can start the year off at 100 percent and ready to go, the chances of getting back to the Super Bowl for the first time in five years greatly improves.

In some not-so-good news for safety Rashad Baker, the Philadelphia Eagles have released him. Apparently Baker just decided one day that he wouldn't show up for practice, and for a guy who's on the bubble anyway, that apparently was the last straw for Reid. Baker was handed his (or perhaps mailed if they still couldn't find him) papers and is no longer a Philadelphia Eagle.

Expect more whispers about this story in the coming days, as it's still unclear why Baker missed practice or even exactly what went down afterwards.

You may remember Baker as the kid who saved the Eagles season last year, as he was the one who picked off Jeff Garcia in Week 17 to seal an Oakland Raiders victory, and giving the Eagles a shot at the playoffs before their dismantling of the Cowboys.
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Todd Herremans (middle) with Westbrook and McNabb.


In the latest string of injury news, Todd Herremans apparently has what is called a "stress reaction" in his left foot, which could lead to a stress fracture if he doesn't get off of it, and stay off of it.

The injury will put him out of commission for probably the next four weeks, which means he's likely to miss all of the preseason. Even if he would be able to come back for the fourth game, the starters only play about a series in the final preseason game, if they even play at all.

Reid could put Herremans in there for the first quarter, but he runs the risk of having him hurt the week before Week 1, and probably wouldn't take that chance.

It's not a real surprise to see Herremans injured considering he hasn't left the field at all during camp. Because of Peters lengthy absence due to some injuries, Herremans was playing constantly out at left tackle, and only had a couple practices inside at his guard position.

The biggest thing about this is that Herremans is only one of three starting offensive linemen who will not be playing tomorrow against the Patriots. The others joining him on the sidlines are the Andrews brothers, Stacy and Shawn.

With those three guys riding the pine, the starting line will probably consist of Jason Peters at left tackle, Max Jean-Gilles at left guard, Jamaal Jackson at center, Nick Cole at right guard, and Winston Justice at right tackle.

While it's by no means a terrible line, it's certainly not the line I want to see Week 1 against the Carolina Panthers. The chances are very good that Herremans will be back at his left guard spot by then, and that Stacy Andrews will take over at right guard. However, the right tackle position still remains a mystery with Shawn Andrews hurt, and Jon Runyan still in free agency.

Juan Castillo doesn't think it's a problem, so I'm not real worried, either.
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Runyan could be starting his 10th season with the Eagles.


With the status of Shawn Andrews under question, the Philadelphia Eagles may be prepping for a return by 13-year veteran Jon Runyan.

Andrews, slated as the starting right tackle next to brother Stacy, has yet to see the practice field even with the rehab guys, much less strapping on the pads. He continues to work solely inside the facility on treadmills and the like. Unfortunately, his back is the problem yet again.

Andrews has been an injury concern since day one, and it has really stunted his growth as a player in this league. Although when he's healthy, he's earned Pro Bowl honors and recognition around the league as one of the best linemen in the game.

Runyan is a guy who has not missed a single game since taking over the starting spot in 1997 with the then-Tennessee Oilers. He's extremely reliable, and a fine tackle. He's gone under the radar during his career, which has led to many Pro Bowl snubs, but from an objective standpoint I honestly believe he's a Hall of Fame tackle.

He's also a familiar face for a team that is undergoing an overhaul on the offensive line, and now an overhaul on defense as well. With Stewart Bradley, Brian Dawkins, and Jim Johnson all gone from this defense, a familiar face would serve them well, even if that face is on offense.

When asked about Shawn's timetable to come back to practice Reid answered, "I don't (have one). He is getting better though, that I can tell you. I've just got to see how it goes here day by day, but he is making progress."

"He is making progress" is an oft-used phrase by Reid to really say that a guy may be getting better, but I can't or won't delve into specifics, which is fine.

Reid wasn't much more specific in his answer regarding the possible return of Jon Runyan.

"I know where he's at," Reid told the media on Sunday. "I saw him at the funeral service for [former defensive coordinator] Jim [Johnson] and talked to him there. We have a pretty good idea of where he's at and we'll just see how things go. He's working hard at getting back and that's really what his primary focus should be, whether it's here or somewhere else."

With Reid, one usually has to read between the lines. Looking at this, it tells me that there is a real interest in bringing Runyan back to Philadelphia. The problem is that the Eagles will probably want to give him a one-year deal, and I'm sure Runyan is looking for more than that, probably at least two years.

However, I could be wrong. Perhaps he feels he can only play one more year, and it's no secret that he'd love to do it in Philadelphia if at all possible. A few years ago he took a discount from the Eagles so he wouldn't have to uproot his family, and he may be willing to do the same again.

Especially if it means he could be looking at a starting job again, whereas most teams will be looking at a 13-year veteran coming off of microfracture knee surgery as an emergency backup. The Eagles, however, know better.

An interesting and convenient nugget to this story is that Runyan may be cleared medically by as early as today by Dr. James Andrews. Runyan is flying to Alabama to get checked out and find out if he can begin his usual running and training.

"My goal all along has been to play this season, and we've had this date in mind as when I could begin running so hopefully I will get clearance from Dr. Andrews," Runyan said.

Runyan has said he's in contact with a "number of teams," one of them being the Philadelphia Eagles.

What they plan to do is always a mystery, but don't be surprised if you hear about the Eagles bringing Runyan in for a workout in the next week or so.
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Prime example of Redzone offense killing the Eagles last year.


The first-team defense handled the first-team offense in a live drill inside the five yard line during today’s morning practice.

The offense had three plays to get into the endzone, or they essentially “lost” the drill. Personally I think they should have just practiced having four downs, because if I see David Akers kicking field goals from within the five yard line I’ll lose my mind, but that’s neither here nor there.

On the first play, the entire defensive line was breathing down McNabb’s neck. He threw the pass to Kevin Curtis who slid for the catch in the endzone. However, after some protesting from the defense, Big Red stepped in and ruled that it would have been a sack, no touchdown.

On the next play, LeSean McCoy shuffled his feet a little bit, causing Asante Samuel to jump up and down and waving his arms screaming, “He moved! He moved! He moved!”

Reid agreed, so they caught the rookie moving and were forced to re-do the play.

The offense then got a little tricky with a shovel pass, but it was stuffed after about two yards. There were about nine white jerseys piled together to stop that play in its tracks. Then an incomplete pass on their third and final try gave the defense their win.

It was only a drill, but it was not good to see the offense get handled as easily as they were. Seeing the defense hold up was good, but redzone defense is not really an issue like redzone offense is.

It also doesn’t help that potentially your best redzone target in Cornelius Ingram was out of practice again today because of some knee swelling. He’ll have an MRI for precautionary reasons, but no one seems to be too worried about him.

The other worry was that the offense really didn’t try to run. The second and third team offenses ran the ball, and ran it pretty well, but the first team guys didn’t try to run it inside the five. Hopefully that’s not a sign of things to come for this season.

Something has to be done about the redzone offense if the Eagles want to live up to the expectations this year. That includes getting guys like Jason Peters in the live drills, getting Shawn Andrews back in any capacity, and having Ingram on the field when they’re in the redzone.
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Shawn and Stacy Andrews are apparently "100 percent."

The biggest training camp story continues to be the absence of first-round pick Jeremy Maclin.

According to Andy Reid the talks are continuing, but nothing has been signed or even agreed upon at this point. Right now, all he's missing is meetings. However at 8:45 tomorrow morning it gets real and he officially starts missing valuable time.

Reid pointed out how vital the camps are and how being there on time last year helped DeSean Jackson immensely with learning the playbook, getting his timing down, and everything else. A lot goes into an NFL training camp; missing is not an option for a young player with lofty expectations like Maclin.

The only thing that could be causing a delay at this point is the length. He waited to sign so the Eagles are limited in what they can spend on their last rookie. They may be bickering about a few tens of thousands of dollars, but my guess is that the Eagles want to give him a six-year deal like was originally reported a month ago, but he wants a four-year deal.

Again, that's just a guess. We'll hear more once something is agreed upon, I'm sure.

Brian Westbrook, Victor Abiamiri, and Andrews Bros. Injury Updates

On the injury front, it appears as though Brian Westbrook and Victor Abiamiri will be ready to return by mid-August. For those of you saying, "Um, when did Abiamiri get hurt?" it was apparently a few days ago. He was benching and strained his pec.

The best news is Westbrook. Some people were questioning if he'd be able to make it back for Week 1, but the news now is that he may even see some time in the third game of the preseason just to shake off some rust before Week 1.

Abiamiri's injury is costly for him. If he doesn't return until mid-August it means that he's probably missing all of camp, and most certainly won't be a starter, at the least at the beginning of the year.

This gives Juqua Parker a great shot to keep his job, but is just another knock against Abiamiri. He just can't stay healthy long enough to try and win this job. I'm sure the coaches are frustrated with him at this point.

Some more good news is that the Andrews brothers are good to go. Someone asked Dave Spadaro if the brothers were ready to go and all he said was, "Yes, 100 percent."

Good to hear, hopefully it stays that way

Pinkston Returns to the Eagles

Relax, not as a player.

The Eagles have brought Pinkston in as a coaching intern. I would assume he's going to be shadowing David Culley, the Eagles' wide receivers coach. However, there is no word on what exactly Pinkston will be doing.

Pinkston caught a lot of heat as a player, some deserving and some not, but he always seemed to at least be a smart guy. Even if you don't think he was a very good player keep in mind the old saying, "Those who can't do, teach."

John Madden and Bill Cowher are Hall of Fame coaches (Madden is in already, Cowher will be one day) but were just awful players.

Interesting sidenote: John Madden was actually drafted by the Eagles in 1958 out of Cal-Poly. Maybe you learned something today.
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Jon Runyan looks to make a block.


The Eagles are still kicking around the idea of bringing Jon Runyan back to the team for his 10th season as an Eagle. Runyan started for the Birds last year but was banged up throughout the season. Runyan is anything but unreliable with the second-longest active starting streak in the NFL.

The move would make sense, especially if the Eagles aren't completely sold on Shawn Andrews being in the right frame of mind.

If Andrews has a breakdown, or gets injured again, having Runyan there to step in would be the best thing for the Eagles. Runyan has started for the Eagles, he knows the guys, he obviously knows the system, and he's still a great player.

This move makes far too much sense. If Andrews were to go down, either of them for that matter, the Eagles would be on the phone with Runyan anyway.

If Stacy isn't ready to play and Shawn has to play right guard, Runyan could step in at right tackle until Stacy is ready to go.

The point is that the Eagles benefit from having Runyan there. Even just having him on the sidelines is beneficial for the team.

The only questions are A) Will he accept coming back as a backup?, and B) Are the Eagles willing to throw him enough money to make him feel like it's worth his time?

I don't think Runyan wants to end his football career, so I believe he would come back anyway because he knows that he's just one snap away from playing. He's taken a pay cut from the Eagles before so that he could stay in the Philly-area. He lives in South Jersey with his family and would rather not uproot them for a one-year deal with a different team.

Keep an eye on Runyan's movements, and don't be surprised if he's an Eagle again before training camp.
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One player wants traded, and another is apparently being shopped around.

While Sheldon Brown has come out and said he wants to be traded, word is that the Eagles have no intention on trading him. However, they may be interested in trading Shawn Andrews.

PFT.com is reporting that a league source has said the Eagles have contacted at least one team to see what they would be willing to give up for Andrews, although the team was not named.

Before I go any further with this, I'm going to say that I don't buy it. Not for one second do I believe that the Eagles would trade away a Pro Bowl guard with an extremely cap-friendly number. On top of that, Andrews played in only two games last year. There's not a huge market for a player who only played 1/8th of the previous season.

Andrew is scheduled to make (in base salary) $750,000 in 2009, $2 million in 2010, $2.5 million in 2011, $2.75 million in 2012, $3.75 million in 2013, $5.25 million in 2014, and $6.25 million in 2015 as part of a 10-year, $35.5 million deal signed in 2005.

With Andy Reid's affinity for offensive linemen, why would he want to unload a Pro Bowl guard who they seem to be building around? While I believe they would have brought him in with or without Shawn there, I don't believe that they didn't make an extra push for Stacy Andrews because he's Shawn's brother.

Also, they just brought in his former college roommate. I don't know if you heard, but they traded for Jason Peters recently.

This could very well be something put out there by the Cowboys, Redskins, or Giants in order to get to Andrews. Even if this was true, the Eagles are very good at keeping things quiet and would never allow this to get out.

So while the rumor is out there, I don't put too much into it, and neither should you.
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