In a recent interview with Eagle’s Insider Dave Spadaro, head coach Andy Reid provided some insight into the off season issues his team has faced. From the departure of Brian Dawkins to his relationship with Donovan McNabb, Reid handled the various questions in his typical candid fashion. He has the uncanny ability to give you an answer without really telling anything you didn’t already know. He tows the company line and gives little insight into his true feelings. He has become a master of stating the obvious, while safeguarding anything that may stir up a controversy.
In the case of Brian Dawkins it all came down to one thing, a players worth and what are you willing to pay for it. I honestly believe this was an extremely difficult decision, but one that was consistent with the team’s philosophy of going with youth over experience once a veteran player’s skills start to drop off. My takeaways were you simply cannot pay Dawkins a ton of money to be a cheerleader and some of the other players on this team need to step up. This was a pure business decision and probably the correct one.
On free agency, once again the Eagles have stayed true to form looking for spot players to fill some gaps. They have never relied on free agency to build this team. In the words of Andy Reid “Because you have the money, you just don’t go blow it on something that you don’t think is good enough quality to put on the Eagles uniform.” I believe this is well stated and the proper path to follow. Philadelphia has always looked to bring in quality players who can help the team win, not put fans in the seats.
In the case of Donovan McNabb, I believe they have come to an understanding and both realize that #5 gives the Eagles their best chance to win over the next few seasons. A new deal is in the works and I wouldn’t be surprised if something doesn’t get done in the next couple of months. These two are closer than you think , you will never see that because neither side will let you in on their true relationship.
While they discussed some other topics the general tone remains the same. Reid is confident they will field a competitive team that will compete for a Championship. While he is reluctant to give you more than a superficial over view of the current Eagle’s State of the Union” you know deep down inside the passion to win still burns. After all, isn’t that what it is really all about?
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