Joe Mays is headed for the Mile High city of Denver.


Say what you will about the personnel moves and what not, but there is truly never a dull moment with this team.

The Eagles announced late Friday night that they've traded linebacker Joe Mays to the Denver Broncos for running back J.J. Arrington, or a conditional 2012 draft pick. What that likely means is if the Birds were to cut Arrington before the regular season, they'll get the pick instead.

But now, let me comment on the personnel move (and what not). I don't understand it. Sure, getting anything for a guy they would have likely released in a month or so is a good thing, but why trade for Arrington when they've already got three guys battling it out for the third spot?

Unless, of course, this is a way of putting Charles Scott, Eldra Buckley, and Martell Mallett on notice. But is there really any way the Eagles envision cutting all three guys?

Buckley is a guy the team likes on special teams, Mallett is a prime candidate for the practice squad, and Scott is a sixth-round pick who's showing an ability to quickly pick up the offense and appears hellbent on proving he's not a one-dimensional short-yardage guy.

Arrington, as he's shown throughout his career, is just a guy. He has decent hands out of the backfield, is an average blocker, and can contribute on special teams, but is that enough for the Birds to consider cutting loose two rookies and a guy they know in Buckley?

Like I said, I don't understand this. There had to be someone else Andy Reid, Joe Banner, and Howie Roseman could have squeezed out of the Broncos. Perhaps a corner or safety who could come in and make a push at a position much more shaky than running back.

But, even a late-round pick for Mays is a win, I suppose. That's where they drafted him, so three years later it's a wash and they can move on with the young linebackers they drafted this offseason in Keenan Clayton and Jamar Chaney.

UPDATE: We've learned the conditional pick in 2012 would be a sixth-round pick.
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Someone needs to wipe this stupid smile off his face.


Playing the Chicago Bears on Sunday Night Football. Playing under the lights, McNabb heading back to his old stomping grounds on a nationally televised game -- What in the world could possibly make this game any worse?

Oh, well, how about the fact that the team we haven't been able to beat over the past two years anyway, now has a legitimate threat at quarterback? Yeah, I guess that could make it worse.

Call me a pessimist but the Eagles, over the past two years, have been absolutely awful against the Bears and on Sunday Night Football. So, throw those two components together and add on that this is a must-win game and you have the makings of a tough night for the city of Philadelphia.

But since I am optimistically pessimistic, let's take a look at what the Eagles must do to change their fortunes.

Put Pressure on Jay Cutler

Unlike last week against Philip Rivers, defensive coordinator Sean McDermott has to bring the pressure on every play. Whether it's first and 10, or third 15, McDermott must have someone in Cutler's face all game.

Cutler is a strong-armed quarterback who can will his team to a win if given the opportunity, or he can throw the game away by forcing throws that aren't there to inadequate receivers. He still feels like he's throwing to Brandon Marshall and Eddie Royal, so he'll take chances they would have rewarded, whereas these receivers just don't have the talent.

The linebacking corps is once again depleted this week with Jordan sitting out again, so it's imperative that McDermott get pressure in Cutler's face to make up for it.

Joe Mays may be getting his first NFL start, which is difficult enough without having to worry about putting the defense on his shoulders.

Run the Football with McCoy and Weaver

It seems like this is a key to the game every week, but it will stay that way until Reid actually does it.

This is a good football team that can run the ball if they are allowed to get into the rhythm of it. Running the ball is all about the mentality of wanting to run it, which these linemen simply don't have because Reid doesn't allow it to happen.

A lot of people are ragging on the Eagles' line for not being tenacious enough, and some of it may be warranted, but most of the blame for the lack of a running game rests on Reid's shoulders. If you don't instill the mentality, it won't just show up out of the blue.

Don't Settle for Field Goals

The only time I want David Akers on the field today is to kick the extra points and for kickoffs. That is absolutely it. If he has one field goal attempt, especially in the redzone, I think my head is going to explode.

At this point, I would much rather see Reid go for it on fourth and goal from 20 and not make it, rather than kick a field goal that proves absolutely useless later in the game.

Is that a bit extreme for effect? Of course, but at this point I'm half-serious.

Every time Akers is on the field for a field goal attempt, the feeling is that the offense has lost. It doesn't matter if it's a 19-yard attempt, or a 59-yard attempt, when the offense fails to punch it in that first time down the field it starts a trend that is tough to stop.

Running the football in the redzone could help to prevent the redzone field goal attempts, but it will still be on Reid to call the play and the offense to execute. This is a group effort of futility and it's getting very difficult to watch.

Cover the Tight End at All Costs

If Sheldon Brown and Asante Samuel can't shut down Earl Bennet and Devin Hester by themselves, or with the help of just one safety, then they don't deserve the money they're making and the jersey they're wearing.

These Chicago receivers are decent on their best day, and downright awful on their worst. If two of the better corners in the league cannot shut them down, then the Eagles will lose anyway.

What the defense needs to do is bracket Greg Olsen and make sure he's not allowed to expose the middle of the field. Whether it's Chris Gocong or Will Witherspoon, Quintin Mikell always has to watching and helping out.

Bottom line: if Olsen is allowed to get big numbers and take control of the game, the Eagles will lose.
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A strong showing by Mays would be cause for optimism.


After starting middle linebacker Stewart Bradley went down for the season with a torn ACL, most fans thought it would come down to a battle between Omar Gaither and Joe Mays to see who would be the team's starter for 2009.

It began that way, but when it became obvious that Mays was in over his head and that Gaither could not stand up to the beating that a middle linebacker must take, the job went to Jeremiah Trotter.

Then after Trotter came in and made it evident that his age and injuries had caught up to him, the Eagles decided it was time to swing a trade for Will Witherspoon. Brandon Gibson and a fifth-round pick later, we have the Eagles third starting middle linebacker.

Then, last week, we were forced to suffer through the fourth as Chris Gocong, while his effort was a valiant one, fell on his face in the MIKE position.

He looked out of place, confused, and clearly out of his comfort zone -- as well as his coverage zone.

So with Akeem Jordan still out with a knee injury, the Eagles are looking for other solutions to their middle linebacker troubles. As is the case with most chronic problems, the Eagles went back to square one and started over -- right back at Joe Mays.

Mays has taken the majority of the first-team snaps at MIKE, with Witherspoon and Gocong at WILL and SAM respectively. There have been other sets of linebackers -- most likely with Witherspoon in the middle and Moise Fokou also in the mix -- but the most prevelant has been Witherspoon, Mays, and Gocong.

It could either be a sign that Mays is finally getting acquainted with the defense, or just a sign of desperation from a team trying to deal with a depleted defense thanks in large part to unfortunate injuries.

Mays is from the windy city, so it would be fitting for him to get his first career start back where it all happened.
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We all love Trotter, but it's time to pull the plug.


Bringing Jeremiah Trotter back to Philly was a long shot to begin with, but now it's become obvious that it's not going to work.

He didn't do a whole lot against Tampa Bay. He was stonewalled when he attempted to blitz and really was not a lot of help in the running game. On top of that, he was a liability in the passing game, and that carried over into this week.

He was the man responsible for covering Zach Miller on his disastrous 86-yard romp, and was the man responsible for Gary Russell on the Raiders' game-sealing third down play in the fourth quarter.

Every time he had to step up, he was unable. He knew exactly where he had to be and knew when and where to react. Unfortunately, he was physically unable to keep up with with younger, faster players.

It's the same reason why Brian Dawkins is now in Denver, so why would the Eagles keep Trotter around when he's more of a liability than Dawk ever would have been?

We all love Trott. He epitomizes what being an Eagle is all about. He's tough, he's a warrior, and he'll never, ever give up on a play or on this team. However, he just does not have what it takes any longer.

It's time that Joe Mays sees the field in the same situations that Trotter would have. At least with Mays, seeing him mess up can be attributed to his youth and inexperience, something that can be overcome. Trotter's age and loss of speed can never come back. He's just going to continue to get slower as the season goes on as he takes more and more of a beating.

It won't be a happy day for Philly, as was the first two times he left the city, but this is a business and it's something that needs to be done. Perhaps they can find a way to keep Trotter on the roster, but he needs to be relegated to more of a backup role behind Omar Gaither and Mays.

As one other Eagles fan put it to me earlier today, "I guess we didn't realize that Stewart Bradley might be the most valuable player on the team."
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How long will it take for Demps to get back on the field?


The inactive players have been announced, and it does not look good for some of the young talent on this Eagles roster.

Kevin Curtis and Todd Herremans are inactive because of injury, and the veteran Jason Babin is inactive for the third time, out of four games, this season. The big surprise comes in the form of a young crew of guys who were expected to start or see significant time in Joe Mays, Quintin Demps, and Trevor Laws. Brandon Gibson is also inactive, but he's a rookie, so it's not so bad.

Mays and Demps were looking at earning starting positions in training camp, but both players fell off during the preseason and were replaced. In Demps' case, he was replaced by a rookie. Mays can at least find some solace in being replaced by a veteran with an entire starting season at middle linebacker under his belt.

Laws may actually be the most disappointing of this bunch because he had a lot to prove after basically a wash for his rookie season, and was expected to give a break to both Brodrick Bunkley and Mike Patterson a break in the defensive tackle rotation.

When your second-round pick from a year ago is a healthy scratch, it doesn't bode well for his future with this team, and in this league. Add that onto the fact that the Eagles picked up Antonio Dixon, a rookie, off waivers the week before the season started, and have decided to play him over Laws, and you have a recipe for a short stay for Laws.

These guys will have to pick it up during the practice week to show the coaching staff that they belong on the field with the rest of these guys. One of them got the short end of the deal because it appears as though Reid will be keeping all three quarterbacks active, but it's still an eye-opening list.

We'll see how the idea of three quarterbacks and only four wide receivers pans out for the next few weeks, but it will likely stay that way until one of these young guys can step up and prove he deserves some playing time.
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Joe Mays has been a disappointment thus far in '09.


Entering the 2009 season, it looked like Joe Mays would build upon an impressive preseason as a rookie and parlay that, plus another good training camp, into a backup role behind Stewart Bradley, a guy who many thought would be a Pro Bowl guy this season.

However, Bradley tore up his knee, and it was time for Mays to step in and take over. In only his second year in the NFL, he was vaulted into a starting role in one of the most complex schemes the NFL has to offer.

Unfortunately, that may have been his downfall.

It didn't take long to realize that Mays was not swimming, but was drowning in his attempt to learn this defense well enough to be able to run it on the field. Like the quarterback, the middle linebacker must know everyone's assignments and be able to call the plays and direct the other 10 men on the field with him.

As it turned out, Mays was having trouble knowing his own assignment, much less that of his defensive teammates.

So Omar Gaither, who had started at middle linebacker in 2007, would become the starter more by default than anything else. But at 6'1 and only 235, Gaither is just not big enough to handle the bruising running backs in the NFC East.

Three games into the season the Eagles recognized this and decided to bring back an old favorite in Jeremiah Trotter. He's the best linebacker that the Eagles have had this decade and should provide the size and skill that the Eagles need in a middle linebacker. Gaither will still get reps in the nickel package and on obvious passing situations.

However, this isn't about Gaither, or even Trotter for that matter. It's about Joe Mays and the great opportunity he has in front of him.

It's not much of a secret that Trotter and Mays are built exactly the same way. Mays gives two inches and 15 pounds to Trott, but really that's because Trotter is bigger than the average middle linebacker today at 6'1 and 260 pounds.

They play exactly the same way as well. They both fly around with a controlled recklessness that creates a lot of big-play opportunities and an intensity that reverberates throughout the entire defense.

Trotter, however, has learned how to fly around and make plays, but to stay within the parameters of the defense, which is a great lesson he can teach Mays. Of course, Mays will first have to learn the parameters of the defense.

Whenever there's a guy like Trotter in the locker room, everybody needs to listen to anything he has to say and pay attention to every move he makes, but for a guy like Mays, it's that much more important that he pick his brain and learn anything from him that he possibly can.

Unfortunately for Mays, his time to shine may have passed. However there is no guarantee that Bradley will ever be the same, so it can't hurt to prepare himself like he's going to be the starter next year.
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Trotter takes the Eagles back to a more dominate time.


In an interesting development, Adam Schefter of ESPN is reporting that the Eagles have worked out former Eagle Jeremiah Trotter again for the second time this week. Andy Reid has since confirmed the workout on his radio show, and said that Trotter did a "nice job."

With Jeff Garcia almost a lock to get cut in the coming days, Trotter could take over that roster spot and perhaps provide some leadership and a spark to a defense that seems to be lacking a leader at this point.

He's only 32 years old, which isn't all that old as far as the NFL goes, but for the Eagles it's become ancient. The concern about Trotter, even more than his age, are the fact that his knees seemingly gave out on him, causing the Eagles to release him and landing him only a backup role in Tampa Bay.

The potential signing of Trotter could signal a dissatisfaction with backup middle linebacker Joe Mays, or even a dissatisfaction in the current starter, Omar Gaither.

Gaither did play a good game on Sunday, but perhaps the Eagles feel like bringing in Trotter over the bye week could light a fire in the defense and get them to play harder, and faster. Trotter could also be a coach on the field and if he actually is healthy would be a great addition to the lineup in running situations.

Of course, that's if he's healthy.

He may have looked good in the workouts, but it's a lot different when you're actually hitting people and getting hit.

For those of you screaming about Jon Runyan taking Garcia's roster spot, it's more than likely not going to happen. Winston Justice has performed very well and the line is starting to get healthy with the anticipated return of Todd Herremans and Stacy Andrews.

Runyan is most likely going to wind up in Buffalo. He visited western New York a few weeks ago and there was word they may sign him then, and now they've lost their starting right tackle Brad Butler for the year. This makes far too much sense not to happen.

It would seem as though the next matter of business would be for the Eagles to work out a contract, have Trotter sign it, and see what it's going to take for Tracy White to change out of that signature number 54.
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Mays has squandered his opportunity to make this a reality.


What was supposed to be a great opportunity for Joe Mays has ended, and from it comes an opportunity not for Mays, but for Omar Gaither.

Gaither will get the start on Sunday when the Eagles head south to Carolina to take on the Panthers. Why he's getting the start is the disappointing part for Mays.

Mays was basically handed the starting job after Stewart Bradley went down for the season with an ACL tear. All he had to do was not lose the job, and it would be nearly impossible for Gaither to take it from him. To the dismay of Mays, and the Eagles, the only thing Mays did right this offseason was implode. He looked lost in camp, and even worse in preseason.

I've been a supporter of Omar Gaither from the very beginning, but it's still incredibly disappointing whenever a guy can't take advantage of an opportunity given. Mays earned the nickname "Headbuster" last year because of his reckless abandon, but it became obvious this year that being a starter was simply too much pressure for him.

He began to think too much, and couldn't keep up with the game. The speed of the play developing, and of the other players, was simply too much for him.

Now to make matters worse, he won't even be suiting up on Sunday. He's been ruled out of the game with a shoulder sprain, and now the Eagles are extremely thin if one of the starters were to go down.

To illustrate this point, the backup at middle linebacker is Chris Gocong, the current starting SAM who has never played a single down at MIKE linebacker. Gocong's backup is then Moise Fokou, a young guy who has impressed during camp and the preseason, but is only a rookie. It goes without saying that if Gaither, Gocong, or Akeem Jordan were to go down, we're in trouble.

So instead of running one of the best defenses in the NFL as a second-year player, Mays will be watching someone else do it while he watches from the sidelines in his street clothes. That's certainly not the scenario for which the Eagles were hoping.
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Joe Mays is quickly becoming a fan favorite with his tough play.


Bryan Smith - Rotation of Defensive Ends Tonight

A third-round pick a year ago, Smith was a major disappointment in his rookie season, not even suiting up for a single game in 2008. This year, he hopes to change that by showing that he has the edge speed to warrant some playing time on passing downs.

He didn't have a great camp, but I wouldn't say it was bad, either. However, for a guy picked in the third round who didn't produce at all in his rookie year, not having a great camp is a let-down. He will have a chance to show what he can do tonight with Trent Cole and Victor Abiamiri out agains the Pats.

If he doesn't show something in the preseason, he may find himself on the outside looking in.



Joe Mays - Starting Middle Linebacker Tonight

With the season-ending injury to Stewart Bradley, most people (including myself) assumed that Omar Gaither would step into the starting middle linebacker position without getting much of a fight. It made sense considering Gaither had started there before, and Mays is only a second-year player.

However, Mays received about 75 percent of the starting reps at middle linebacker, and took full advantage of every snap.

Mays made a mark last preseason as a rookie, and looks to carry over a good camp into preseason again this year. We know that he can play around the line of scrimmage and stop the run, but seeing him in pass coverage will be the real key. If he can show that he can cover in the middle of the field, Gaither won't be seeing much time.



Omar Gaither - Backup WILL/MIKE Tonight

As mentioned before, it was assumed that Gaither would step into the starting role at middle linebacker after losing his job at the WILL position to Akeem Jordan last season. That has not been the case, and now Gaither is fighting for two starting jobs. If he can't beat out Jordan, he'd like to surpass Mays, or vice versa.

Gaither is a competitor and a guy who the defense really likes as a player and a person. They say that a quarterback must win over the lockerroom, but a middle linebacker must do the same, and he has done that. Guys respect him and will listen to him.

The other thing working in Gaither's favor is the fact that he knows the defense, while Mays is still trying to learn everything that the playbook has to offer. Gaither is in the middle of two very interesting battles, and the preseason will have a lot to do with the outcome of both.



Quintin Demps - Starting Free Safety Tonight

If you'll notice, every positional listing has the qualifier of "tonight" added to it, and that's for good reason. Simply put, just because they are the starter tonight does not mean they'll be the starter next week, or come September 13th.

Demps is getting pushed for a guy in Sean Jones who is attempting to make the switch from strong to free safety. He's a ballhawk and has experience as a starter. Demps, on the other hand, is going into only his second year in the league and his first as a starter since the departure of Brian Dawkins to Denver.

Demps needs to show that he can make reads on the fly and really cover a guy going deep. He'll get a great test tonight going against a group of guys who created the most prolific offense the NFL has ever seen in Tom Brady, Randy Moss, and Wes Welker. Tonight will be a great way to see if Demps is really ready or not.



Dimitri Patterson - Fifth Cornerback Tonight

Patterson is quickly overtaking the favorite, Jack Ikegwuonu, for the spot of fifth corner on this team, and rightfully so. Patterson is an incredibly physical guy who is not afraid to get into a receiver's face and really make him work not only to run his route, but to get the ball. Patterson will frustrate a lot of receivers into silly mistakes.

He was working hard all throughout training camp and is now looking to make an impression on the coaching staff tonight. I'd say he has a few steps on Ikegwuonu, but he can really separate himself with a good game tonight, and will certainly be worth watching.

Other Players to Watch: CB Jack Ikegwuonu, OLB Chris Gocong, CB Ellis Hobbs, OLB Moise Fokou
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We now know that this will not be the starting trio Week 1.


Well, it didn't take long for my question of "roadblock or speedbump" to get answered.

The Eagles were doing 80 on the freeway, and something threw a huge brick wall in front of the Ferrari we were cruising in right to Miami.

Stewart Bradley, starting middle linebacker, has torn his ACL and is most likely done for the year.

Just like that, in the blink of an eye, the Eagles season just got that much harder. The defense is now faced with a daunting task of overcoming the loss of their starting middle linebacker, and the man who was supposed to lead this team.

While it's always a huge blow to lose a player like Bradley, it's not something that the Eagles are incapable of rebounding from.

Omar Gaither has played the MIKE position, and has played it well. After the Eagles cut Jeremiah Trotter, Gaither was thrust into the starting role almost immediately, and responded by having a solid season. Gaither is now a guy playing with a chip on his shoulder after losing his spot, and this is just the kind of opportunity that he has been waiting for.

Then of course Akeem Jordan would man the WILL spot and Gocong would stay at SAM, no need to change anything there.

Of course there is the distinct possibility that Joe "Headbuster" Mays could find himself with a starting spot if the Eagles like Gaither better as a role player at the WILL spot.

No one exactly knows what Andy Reid and Sean McDermott are planning at this point, but you can bet that they are in fact planning. McDermott already had a difficult task in front of him replacing a legendary coach like Jim Johnson, but losing a guy that he was banking on to be the team's leader and his starting middle linebacker only makes it more difficult.

Bradley will almost certainly be headed to the IR, so the Eagles will have an open roster spot. The problem they face is what to do with it.

Right now, without Bradley, they have Tank Daniels, Tracy White, and Gocong at SAM, Charleston "Chews" Hughes, Joe Mays, and Gaither at MIKE, and Moise Fukou and Jordan at WILL.

I don't see Hughes making the team, as he was a long-shot to begin with, and before this I didn't see White making the team, either. However that may have just changed. Fukou was a late-round draft pick and will probably make his way to the practice squad as I don't believe they think he's ready to be a primary backup.

So they could be left with the same people at SAM, Mays and Gaither at MIKE, and Jordan alone at WILL. They could perhaps move Daniels or White to backup WILL, but I don't think they want to do that.

Let's not forget that Daniels hasn't even been practicing at linebacker, but instead taking snaps at defensive end. That may have been his only shot at making this team, but with Bradley's injury they'll probably just attempt to move him back to linebacker.

So who's out there? Well, there's one guy who I think could really help the Eagles in terms of having a great backup, and adding leadership to a defense without direction.

Derrick Brooks.

He's the perfect fit for the scheme and for the situation. He's played linebacker in a 4-3, and played it extremely well as a walking Hall of Fame guy. Yes, he's a bit long in the tooth, but they're not asking him to start, only play as a primary backup. He says he has at least one good year left in him, so give him a one-year deal and give it a shot.

It couldn't possibly hurt, could it?

A move like this gives the Eagles the depth that they certainly need, and gives them leadership. On top of that, it also gives these young guys a chance to learn from a guy who most certainly will have a bust in Canton sometime in the near future.

Either way, the Eagles defense will have to step up this year. No Dawkins, no Bradley, and no Jim Johnson certainly puts them in a bind. This will test the will of every young man on this defense, and the young man running the defense from the sidelines.

You can't know the true character of a man until he is faced with adversity. Well, we'll be discovering the character of every man on this team, this year.
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Hopefully this is still the starting trio of linebackers in Week 1.


For the most part, last night's first annual "Flight Night!" was a roaring success for the Eagles.

Over 30,000 people came out to support the Eagles charity efforts, the players got in a practice, signed some autographs, and everyone had a great time.

Then came everyone's worst fears associated with such an event. Stewart Bradley injured himself during the practice. Worse yet, it was his knee, which he says made a "pop" noise.

Knees and popping noises are never good. Ask most any player who has torn a ligament in their knee and they will tell you that they hear a distinct "pop" before hitting the ground in agony.

Apparently, the trainers have told the coaches that they are concerned, and while they're hoping for the best, are expecting the very worst.

If Bradley goes down for a lengthy period of time, the linebackers should still be okay. All they have to do is slide Omar Gaither back to the middle, where he has started before, and start Jordan at WILL. Or, they could give Joe "Headbuster" Mays a shot in the middle and still have a battle between Gaither and Jordan for the WILL.

Of course, the best-case scenario is to have Bradley be just fine and able to play. A lot of people were talking Pro Bowl and All-Pro teams for him last year, and he was expected to take that leap this year. Not only that, Bradley has been looked at as the defense's leader in the absence of Brian Dawkins. He will be unable to fill either role from the sidelines.

The results should be back later today, or very early tomorrow, and we'll get to see if this season's road to the Super Bowl got a huge roadblock, or just a speed bump.
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