Heard in the Cheap Seats

Many Eagles fans, on this blog and elsewhere, have expressed frustration over the lack of activity out of the front office so far this season.  And the moves the Eagles did make, the signing of Stacy Andrews and Sean Jones, are being overshadowed by the ones they didn”t—Brian Dawkins and Tra Thomas.  Philadelphia fans are not known for their patience and certainly are not showing it right now.

But is there something looming to change that rising tide of frustration?  Are the Eagles really just executing against a grand plan, acting as puppeteers and pulling on the strings of Philadelphia? 

Recently, there has been speculation from the likes of SI, ESPN, local Eagle-insider Gary Cobb and Don”t Boo the Birds (among others) that the Eagles are planning on making some big moves leading up to or during the draft.  The evidence to support this claim is apparent.  The Eagles have been getting younger at a startling pace, while stockpiling draft picks and keeping a stack of money locked away in a vault.  It seems they are priming themselves for a run at some big name players via trade or a quick move up the draft board. 

Of course, most Eagles fans would like to see Anquan Boldin don an Eagles uniform next season.  I share in that sentiment, but it still seems unlikely to me at this juncture.  NFL pundits like John Clayton and Peter King seem unable to fathom a scenario where Bolden is not moved.  They must have short memories because I recall a plethora of articles about this time last year making the same claims about Larry Fitzgerald and we all know how that squabble ended.  The Boldin situation is different, but it still seems like a remote possibility that the Eagles land him via a trade.  I hope I”m wrong on this.

Another name that has been floated out there is Jason Peters—the disgruntled left tackle of the Buffalo Bills.  From a football standpoint, an aggressive move to get Peters makes a lot of sense.  He is already a Pro Bowl player and is verging on the status of perennial Pro Bowler.  If you are Donovan McNabb, you can”t ask for much better protection for your blind side.  But again, this seems unlikely to happen.  For starters, the Bills and Peters are currently talking.  Translated a different way, the discussions are not so sour at this point that the relationship is beyond repair. The Bills have also cleared significant cap space with the express purpose of keeping Peter happy.  It seems like Peters will get his money—just not with the Eagles.

I think it is far more likely that the Eagles use their picks to move up the draft board and get a guy they covet—perhaps a player like Brandon Pettigrew. 

So maybe the Eagles do have a grand plan and we are just all in the dark.  They are sitting at a high-stakes table right now and have as many chips as any of their negotiating partners.  But in this game, it feels like the Eagles are playing a fool’’s game.  After all, the house always wins.

Quick Free Agent Update: The Eagles signed Rashad Baker today from the Oakland Raiders.  He is a relatively small safety with solid coverage skills but questionable run support ability.  Baker is also the Oakland Raider safety that came up with the interception that sent the Eagles to the playoffs in 2008.

In addition to the news on Baker, reports have been circulating that the Eagles are interested in Leonard Weaver.  A few weeks back I mentioned Weaver as a potential target for the Birds.  He is a young fullback that is still developing at the position.  He was drafted as a tight end but moved to FB and has blossomed in the role.  He is not a potent lead blocker but definitely a capable one.  His best attribute is that he is a dangerous receiver out of the backfield—a nice weapon to have in the West Coast offense.  If the Eagles complete the deal, it’’s a solid move that adds versatility to their offense and some much needed help in short yardage situations.